IIW Annual Report 2025

SHARING WITH PEERS WORKING GROUP STANDARDISATION

Mr Jérôme Dietsch Chair, WG STAND (France)

First, a need, an idea. Second, a concept, a design and the need for research and development. Then studies, experimentation, evaluation and validation. Finally, implementation, optimisation and industrialization. The IIW, constituting a unique gathering of world-class recognized experts and professionals has the unique capacity input and assistance throughout all these steps to innovation. But an ultimate goal that might be misconsidered is standardization, the key tool allowing adoption of unified approaches and solutions beneficial to all stakeholders of a specific subject, including fabricators, end-users and regulators. Even at this step, the IIW is still there to help and assist the global welding and joining community on its path to enhance human activities and efforts to create safer and reliable societies. Indeed, the organization has since the 1980s developed a close relationship with ISO, the International Organisation for Standardization and is recognised as an International Standardization body in the field of welding and a wide range of allied techniques and processes.

Since then, key outcomes have been the publication of a number of International Standards, Technical Specification and Technical Reports, very often adopted by regional and national entities, as for example by CEN (the European Committee for Standardization) and its members. This is notably the case for such aspects as for example, welding consumables, resistance and solid-state

joining processes, non-destructive testing of welds, terminology, health and Safety, fatigue performance of welded structures and personnel and quality management. In 2025, besides all the efforts regarding the maintenance and update of more then 30 already existing ISO deliverables under the responsibility of the IIW, a new project has been developed regarding requirements and guidelines for weldments on hydrogen transportation pipelines, illustrating again the leading role IIW plays in setting up the standards for the future of the industry and even for the well-being of people and the need for an environment-friendly, efficient and sustainable World.

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