Stephan Egerland elected President Elect of the International Welding Organization

With the election of Stephan Egerland as President Elect of the International Institute of Welding (IIW), an Austrian representative is once again taking on one of the highest honorary positions in international welding technology after many years. Egerland has been with Fronius for over 25 years and currently works at our research and development site in Thalheim. He will hold the presidency of the IIW for three years starting in 2026, a position that is known worldwide as the "welding pope."

International standards

The IIW is the global umbrella organization for all national welding societies, including the Austrian Welding Society and the Welding Technology Central Institute in Austria, the American Welding Society in the USA, and the German Association for Welding Technology. The organization sets international standards for training, research, and safety-related applications. The IIW guidelines form the basis for courses at the Austrian Economic Research Institute, for example, and are considered the benchmark for welding supervision in critical projects such as bridge and pressure vessel construction.

Austrian expertise

Egerland began his career around 20 years ago as an expert in Commission XII (Arc Welding Processes), rising through the ranks to become Sub-Chairman, Chairman of the Technical Management Board (TMB), member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer before being elected President Elect by the Board of Directors. The election is a strong sign of international recognition of Austrian expertise.

The IIW Annual Assemble, the most important conference in the industry, brings together over 1,000 experts from more than 100 countries every year. This year it took place in Genoa, and in 2026 it will be hosted in Salzburg. Preparations are already underway, with the participation of the Welding Technology Central Institute in Austria, Graz University of Technology, Peter Fronius, the City of Salzburg, and an Italian organization team. Fronius will be a platinum sponsor.

Concentrated knowledge exchange

Our colleagues Wolfgang Kruglhuber, Harald Langeder, and Herbert Staufer have been active as Austrian representatives in committees IV (Power Beam Processes), VIII (Health & Safety), XII, and XIV (Training & Education) for decades. The conference offers concentrated knowledge exchange at the highest level, new technologies such as WAAM or manual laser welding are discussed, research results are presented, and published in the trade journal Welding in the World.