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THE 1 ST IIW SOUTH - EAST EUROPEAN WELDING CONGRESS TIMI~OARA - ROMANIA

24-26 MAY 2006

The 1st IIW South · East European Welding Congress was organized by the National Research-Development Institute for Welding and Material Testing - ISIM Timi::;oara (Romania). in partnership with the Bulgarian Welding Society (8WS), the Romanian Welding Society (ASR) and the Society for Advancement of Welding in Serbia. The event was present on the agenda of the South-East European Network for Welding Techno­logical Transfer, a network created with the support of the International Institute of Welding - Working Group for Regional Activities.

Prof. Dorin Dehelean, President of the Organizing Committee - welcoming address

Chris Smallbone, President of IIW, opens the congress

Held in Timi~oara (Romania) in the period 24-26 May 2006, this important scientific event enjoyed the partic­ipation of 238 specialists , 63 from abroad. Within the congress 18 countries were represented, namely Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosn ia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Macedonia,

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Portugal, Moldova Republic, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey and USA. The wide regional participa­tion in the IIW Congress is to be mentioned - many spe­cialists from 8 South-East European countries enjoyed it.

The congress was officially opened on 24 May 2006, by the Opening Ceremony, that took place at the Romanian National Opera House from Timi~oara. The welcoming address was presented by Prof. Dorin Dehelean, General Director of ISIM Timi~oara and President of the Organizing Committee. Mr. Chris Smallbone, the IIW President, officially opened the congress. Were presented messages on behalf of the President of National Authority for Scientific Research, Mr. Anton Anton, and on behalf of the State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Mr. Eugen Tapu Nazare.

According to the tradition followed the Jaeger Lecture -Knowledge Welding - delivered by Prof. Dr. H.C. Constantin Bratianu, important personality from the Academy of Economic Studies from Bucharest.

The ceremony continued with an artistic programme offered by artists and the orchestra of the National Opera in Tim~oara , followed by the Welcoming Reception in the Opera House foyer.

Prof . Constantin Brmianu delivering the Jaeger lecture

J Participants in the Congress Opening Ceremony

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Artistic programme offered by artists of the National Opera in Tim~oara

The scientnic programme of the congress wnh the theme Welding and Joining T echnofogies for a Sustainable Development and Environment was held on 25 and 26 May 2006, in the Business Regional Centre from Tim~ra. There were presented 85 papers divided into the following sessions: • Plenary session - 8 papers. • Parallel sessions: - Joining processes - 20 papers, - Structural integrity - 20 papers, - Quality management and environment - 19 papers. • Poster session: - 18 papers.

The Congress Proceedings printed in three volumes: Jaeger Lecture (vol. 1) , Plenary Session and "Joining processes" (vol. 2) , "Structural integrity" and "Quality management and environment" (vol. 3) has been dis­tributed to the participants.

The technical programme also inctuded two workshops:

• Workshop on T echnologica/ innovation to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial devel­opment, organized with the support 01 the IIW Working Group lor Regional Activities , fac ilitated by Mr. Chris Smallbone, the IIW President.

Within this workshop were presented success models lor technologica l innovatio n, different regional initiatives. Here participated in representatives of the European Commiss ion - Research Directorate General, 01 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) , 01 the United Nation Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), as well as of welding associations Irom dif­ferent countries lrom Europe, Australia, Japan and USA.

Lecturers and participants in the workshop on technological innovation

Aspects during the Exhibition " Innovation in Welding"

The representatives of the organizing institutions (from left: Prof. Dorin Dehelean, General Director of 151M

Timi~oara ; Mr. Chris 5mallbone, President of IIW; Or. Vencislav Grabulov, President 01 Society for

Advancement 01 Welding in Serbia ; Mr. Dorin Stoian, President 01 Romanian Welding Society; Dr. Marin Beloev, President of Bulgarian w elding Soc iety)

• Workshop on Quantitative non-destructive testing and structural integrity organized with the support of Commission V- IIW and moderated by Prof. Drago~ Cioclov - CEC Saarbrucken and Or. Gerd Dobmann -IZFP Saarbriicken (Germany), Chairman of Commission V-IIW.

The exhibition Innovation in Welding was also organized; 16 exhibitors presented their products and services offers in the field of welding, allied processes and mate­rial testing.

Besides the Wek::ome Reception the social programme consisted in a Banquet offered by organizers in the hon­our of guests, another opportunity for making friendly collaboration relationships between specialists.

The event was positively appreciated by guests, both through Questionnaires on satisfaction survey they filled in and messages sent to the organizers.

Due to this success of the Congress and the high regional impact, the organizers decided to continue the organization of similar scientific events in the South -East European Region.