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Representatives from UNIDO, IAEA, DFID and the EU participating in the Technology
Diffusion Workshop at the first IIW South-East European Welding Congress,
Timi oara, Romania, May 2006
EMERGING NATIONS
by Smallbone, in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece attended by representatives of
governments, welding societies and industry from these countries, plus Macedonia, Bosnia
andHerzegovina andMontenegro, over the next fewyears. The ideals of technology diffusion
were then cemented into place, with high ranking members from all these countries taking
on the role of ‘champions’ to resource the development of networking in, and between,
their respective countries and also to promote the cause of welding technology throughout
SE Europe. The results emanating from this collaboration were quite substantial with the
foundation of the Romanian Technological Transfer Center in Welding (CENTA-ISIM) in
March 2004 and the establishment of an Innovation Centre in Belgrade, both to focus on
technology transfer and diffusion activities in that region. The very successful South Eastern
European Network (SEENet) was established, linking Technology Support and Education
and Training Support Centres with industries utilising welding. The idea for SEENet was
taken up by representatives from throughout the region keen to help improve the quality
of life. Dehelean was instrumental in this process, along with Welding Society Presidents
Dr-Ing. Vencislav Grabulov (Serbia) and Dr-Ing. Marin Beloev (Bulgaria). SEENet was
supported by an ever-widening group of representatives from welding societies, government
and industry all eager to carry the networking message throughout the region.
17
In July 2005 a delegation from IIW, including Smallbone, Mr John Zirnhelt (Canada)
and Mr James Guild (South Africa), visited UNIDO, the International Atomic Energy
Association (IAEA), the European Union (EU) and the UK Department for International
Development (DFID) to explore possible project collaboration between IIW and these
agencies. This collaboration was, in a sense, an extension of the previous discussions with
UNIDO 10 years earlier to fund projects in Africa. This time the discussions with these
organisations were done under the banner of a new IIW project ‘To improve the global
quality of life by the optimum use of welding technology’. The project provided the basis
for a number of key activities of the Institute, particularly through the IIW training and