Institute News
By Sarah Bagnall
In 2024, the Institute of Corrosion took a significant step toward expanding its reach
and promoting the importance of corrosion prevention in the Wales and South-West region of the UK.
With the establishment of the Wales and South-West Regional Branch, ICorr aims to foster greater collaboration and knowledge sharing within this vital area of engineering.
The formation of this regional branch reflects a growing need to address corrosion-related challenges in industries such as petrochemical, manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, and marine, which are particularly prevalent in the coastal and industrial regions of Wales and the South-West. The new branch will provide a platform for professionals to gather, exchange ideas, and gain a deeper understanding of corrosion issues, as well as cutting-edge strategies for prevention.
Key Events Held in 2024
Throughout 2024, the Wales and South-West Regional Branch hosted a series of events in cities such as Bristol, Port Talbot, Swansea, and Southampton. These gatherings served as key opportunities for local industry leaders, engineers, and academics to meet, learn, and discuss the latest advancements in corrosion science and technologies. Topics covered included innovative corrosion prevention methods, case studies, and industry best practices aimed at enhancing durability and reducing costs.
In addition to technical presentations and workshops, these events featured networking opportunities, allowing members to connect with peers and potential collaborators. This helped foster a sense of community within the region, strengthening relationships among professionals working in similar fields.
Looking Ahead: Events in 2025
Building on the success of 2024, the Wales and South-West Regional Branch will continue its mission to promote the understanding and prevention of corrosion. With events
planned across the region in locations such as Pembroke,
Cardiff, Plymouth, Southampton, and Swansea, the branch will ensure its activities are accessible to a wide range of professionals. By rotating event locations, ICORR hopes to reach even more individuals and organisations that may benefit from greater awareness and understanding of corrosion issues and prevention techniques.
These upcoming events will also offer valuable opportunities for learning and collaboration, featuring expert speakers and interactive sessions. The regional branch is committed to addressing the diverse needs of the region.
Strengthening Regional Collaboration
The Wales and South-West Regional Branch of ICORR also aims to work alongside other professional organisations in the region, such as the Southern Joint Branch of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST), the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), and the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
By working together with these groups, ICORR seeks to broaden the scope of its events and initiatives, offering a more interdisciplinary approach to corrosion prevention and management. This collaboration will help facilitate knowledge transfer across industries, bringing together professionals from different sectors who may face similar corrosion-related challenges. Additionally, these partnerships will support the development of innovative solutions to complex problems, ultimately advancing the field as a whole.
For more information, contact swchair@icorr.org
You can also keep up to date on events by visiting our LinkedIn page; https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12992293/ and our Website page www.icorr.org/wales-and-south-west-branch/please scroll down to Local Technical Programme
for Past presentations.
Photo: Delegates at the 2024 Bristol Event.
Photo: Delegates at the 2024 Port Talbot Event that launched the Branch.
Institute News
By Greg Brown
The North-West Branch continues to go from strength to strength under the skilful chairmanship of Greg Brown, recruiting new committee members and planning several exciting events for 2025.
Young Engineer Event – 19th February 2025
The Young Engineer Programme is run by ICorr every two years and serves as a great opportunity for early-career engineers/students to gain valuable experience and problem-solving skills. Our 2024 programme has just been completed in London, and our YEP 24 winners will be off to AMPP25 in Nashville very soon: https://ace.ampp.org/home
Last year’s participants dealt with a power plant corrosion-related issue. The winning team designed a solution to the problem. Roger Francis, of RF Materials, implemented the real-life solution.
Our Young Engineer leadership team of Danny Burkle and Izabela Gajewska has confirmed the date of 19th February 2025 for a ‘Follow-up’ event at the University of Manchester to showcase presentations from the winning team and Roger Francis. As in previous North-West Branch events, it’s also proposed that the event will showcase students’ university research presentations. The event will also promote the next intake for YEP in Q4 2025.
The event will take place from 12:30 for lunch. The event is open to all ICorr members, not just Young ICorr participants.
For further information or to confirm your place, please contact nwchair@Icorr.org
Asset Management Joint Event
The North-West Branch was approached to host a joint event with the Institute of Asset Management (IAM). A further meeting of the planning committee is taking place. The date and final arrangements are yet to be confirmed but will be available and circulated in due course, also being posted to the North-West Branch homepage: North-West Branch – Institute of Corrosion.
UK-China Corrosion Summit Dates
Confirmed as 3rd-4th September 2025
In a tremendously exciting development for the North-West Branch, ICorr and our Chinese counterpart, CSCP (Chinese Society for Corrosion Protection), are planning to hold the inaugural UK-China Corrosion Summit in Manchester in 2025, following the signing-off of our MoU in China in October 2024 and the successful ICorr (UK) – CSCP (China) Joint Webinar Week in November 2024.
The proposed format is as follows:
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The Summit will be a two-day event, consisting of: Day 1: Conference with evening dinner; Day 2: University and industrial visits.
- The size of China delegation will be approximately 20-30.
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The Technical Programme will be hosted by Manchester University, with an accompanying industrial visit also taking place to Intertek CAPCIS.
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ICorr North-West Branch will organising the venue and associated facilities.
North-West Branch will continue to update Corrosion Management and all relevant communication channels. Anyone wishing to express an interest in attending the conference can contact nwchair@icorr.org or president@icorr.org
Committee Meetings
The NW Branch committee normally meets on the 2nd Tuesday
on alternate months, at 18:00 (either in person or online, as advised by Chair: nwchair@icorr.org)
Upcoming dates are:
- 8th April 2025
- 10th June 2025
- 12th August 2025
- 14th October 2025
Branch New Year Get Together
The Committee met in Turtle Bay, NW Manchester, to celebrate their successful 2024 and share a lovely meal before getting down to the work for what promises to be a busy 2025!
Upcoming Events
For more details of upcoming events please visit:
www.icorr.org/events/
If you wish to present, please contact:
nwchair@icorr.org
Photo: North-West Committee, January 2025 at Turtle Bay, Manchester.
Institute News
ICorr NE Branch supporting Annual CED Day and Corrosion Awareness Event in Teesside, 24th April 2025
ICorr NE Branch is currently in discussions with Danny Burkle to assist in the running of this event. The assistance might come in the form of helping recommend local presenters to cover relevant subject matter and also providing in-person assistance to help run the day.
The NE Branch aims to provide a very full technical programme of both in-person and online events. Abstracts of potential papers for the North-East Technical Programme are always welcome for consideration, and anyone wishing to present should correspond soonest with the 2024/2025 Chair and Technical Programme Co-ordinator:
Matt Fletcher at nechair@icorr.org
To join the NE Branch Event mailing list, please also
contact: nechair@icorr.org
Further information about the NE Branch and its past presentations may be found on their website page: North-East Branch – Institute of Corrosion www.icorr.org/northeast/ under Local Technical Programme.
Institute News
On Wednesday, 13th November 2024, the North-East (NE) Branch of the Institute of Corrosion hosted the Institute of Corrosion 2024 AGM at Neville Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The day commenced with a technical offshore wind programme, followed by the AGM and concluding with an evening dinner. Almost 70 people from all over the UK attended the Technical Program, and 60 attended the evening dinner. Attendees included the ICorr Council, Sustaining Members, Professional Members, General Members and potential future members.
The day was a great success, with the variety of engaging content keeping the attendees entertained for almost 9 hours from start to finish.
ICorr NE Branch, Christmas Dinner
After a busy year, the Branch committee got together, (minus a couple of late withdrawals due to heavy snow), to enjoy a well-earned Christmas Dinner and had time to discuss the success of 2024, in particular the ICorr AGM and Technical Wind Day.
Photo: AGM Delegates Gathered in the Neville Hall on 13th November 2024.
Institute News
Webinar on “CUI and its Predictive Management”
On December 15th, 2024, we hosted a webinar with experts Rene Goderie
(Dow Chemicals) and Phil Yule (AMPP). It attracted 200+ registrants, 85 attendees globally, with strong engagement from ICorr members and industry professionals.
Formation of Volunteer Committee A volunteer committee
is being formed, with 12+ members expressing interest.
The first meeting is scheduled for February 20th, 2025.
Upcoming Events and Initiatives
Midlands Corrosion Forum (MCF) Joint Event A joint
event with MCF is planned for April 2025, focusing on innovations in corrosion monitoring.
Seeking Experts for Future Webinars on:
- Corrosion and use of advanced analytics including AI
- Industrial IOT and remote monitoring, digital twin
- Applied practices in corrosion and cathodic protection
Regional Engagement
We are strengthening relationships with Cranfield University, Cambridge University, and other institutions to involve students in ICorr activities through technical talks and industry collaborations.
Prafull Sharma – Interim Chair, Midlands Branch,
Institute of Corrosion
