82nd HeatTreatmentCongress (HK) - 31st IFHTSE World Congress - ECHT 2026 - Steel Innovation
The 82nd HeatTreatmentCongress (HK) of AWT takes place together with the 31st IFHTSE-World Congress and the European Conference on Heat Treatment (ECHT) 2026 and 4th conference Steel Innovation.
HeatTreatmentCongress: The largest European congress on topics of heat treatment and materials technology, manufacturing and process engineering in 2026 is organized in cooperation with the International Federation for Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering (IFHTSE) as well as the European heat treatment associations from France, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Benelux countries. Due to the expected number of lecture registrations, the congress event is planned as a three-day event. The language of the conference will be English.
Topics
HeatTreatmentCongress, IFHTSE-World Congress, ECHT 2026
- Heat treatment – processes, systems, media, safety
- Sustainability concepts for heat treatment plants and process chains
- Artificial intelligence, simulation and digitalization
- Production and processing of components in the process chain
- Properties of components in processing
- New material developments
- Material analysis and quality control
Steel Innovation
- Materials Engineering steel
- Digital steel technology
- High strength and wear-resistant steels
- Sustainable steel - recycling, re-use and re-manufacturing
- Corrosion-resistant steels
- Hydrogen embrittlement /steel development for the hydrogen economy
- Materials testing for steel
- Increasing the damage tolerance of steels
- New steel concepts for additive manufacturing
Cross global industry highlight!
The event also includes a trade fair with expected more than 150 exhibitors. Registrations for the fair can be made with the booking form (pdf).
Support of young researchers - free participation at the IFHTSE World Congress - HK - ECHT - Steel Innovation 2026 in Cologne
The International Federation for Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering (IFHTSE) is dedicated to promoting the international exchange in the field. As a contribution to this end, the Federation will invite some researchers under 35 years of age to participate for free at the event in Cologne. The Federation will reimburse them for the travel, accomodation, and attendance cost provided they present a paper in the World Congress.
Candidates shall submit
- a letter of support from their professor or supervisor on letterhead,
- a summary of max 200 words on their degree programme and on their present project(s),
- a travel plan indicating the costs they expect for travel, accomodation, and registration fee.
The files shall be emailed to info@awt.online.org until January 10, 2026, under the reference: „Free participation at the World Congress“. The IFHTSE Executive Committee will then select the candidates and inform them. The candidates shall also submit an abstract for the congress by the form "Application for lectures" on this website.
Schedule
Monday, 12 October 2026, 17.00 AWT membership meeting
Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 9.00 - 18.00 congress time, opening hours exhibition
Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 9.00 - 18.00 congress time, opening hours exhibition
Thursday, 15 October 2026, 9.00 - 16.00 congress time, opening hours exhibition
Tickets for the event will be available at the beginning of June 2026 at the ticketshop integrated in this website
Here you can book a hotel for HK - IFHTSE World Congress - ECHT - Steel Innovation 2026.