Dr Yunnan Gao, President of the Institute of Corrosion, represented ICorr at the International Conference on Corrosion Protection and Application (ICCPA 2026), held in Chengdu, China, in July 2026. As an EFC Event No. 549, ICCPA 2026 provided an important international platform for the exchange of knowledge and expertise in corrosion and corrosion protection, bringing together experts, researchers and industry professionals from China and around the world.
The 2026 International Conference on Corrosion Protection and Application (ICCPA 2026) was held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, from 24 to 26 July 2026 under the theme “Green and Low Carbon, Open Exchange, Cooperation and Win-Win”. The conference was jointly organised by the European Federation of Corrosion (EFC), the Sichuan Society for Corrosion and Protection, the Chongqing Society for Corrosion and Protection and the Southwest Institute of Technology and Engineering, together with a wide range of academic, research and industrial organisations in China.
ICCPA 2026 was designated EFC Event No. 549, making it a significant event within the EFC international conference programme and one of the largest EFC events to have been held in China. The conference attracted more than 500 experts, academics and technical professionals from over 10 countries, including China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as other European countries.
Strong International Participation
The conference programme covered a broad range of topics reflecting the increasingly diverse challenges facing corrosion science, engineering and materials protection. These included material damage and surface protection in extreme environments, corrosion protection of aerospace materials and structures, high-temperature corrosion, marine corrosion, corrosion and protection in sustainable energy systems, oil and gas corrosion, corrosion inhibitor technology, abrasion-resistant materials, advanced functional anti-corrosion and anti-fouling coatings, as well as a dedicated Young Scientists Forum.
The technical programme provided an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to exchange the latest developments in corrosion mechanisms, materials performance, surface engineering and corrosion protection technologies, while also considering the application of these developments to major industrial challenges.
The conference featured contributions from a number of internationally recognised corrosion and materials experts. Among the invited speakers were Chinese Academy of Engineering Academicians Professor Shandong Tu, Professor Shengkai Gong and Professor En-Hou Han, together with international experts including Professor Damien Feron of Université Paris-Saclay, Professor Philippe Marcus of École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris and Professor Tomáš Prošek of the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague.
ICorr Represented at the Conference
The Institute of Corrosion was represented by its President, Dr Yunnan Gao, who attended the conference on behalf of ICorr and contributed to the technical programme as an invited plenary speaker..
Dr Gao’s participation provided an opportunity to introduce the Institute of Corrosion to a broad international audience in China and to highlight ICorr’s role as a professional body supporting the development of corrosion science, engineering competence and professional standards.
Photo 1: Delegates at ICCPA 2026 in Chengdu, China, July 2026.
Photo 2: ICorr President Dr Yunnan Gao at the ICCPA 2026 Opening Ceremony.
ICorr Plenary Contribution
As part of the plenary programme, Dr Gao delivered a lecture introducing ICorr and its international activities, followed by a technical presentation on a topical issue in corrosion and materials engineering.
The plenary lecture provided an opportunity to share ICorr’s experience and professional activities with delegates from China and other countries, while demonstrating the Institute’s commitment to international cooperation and knowledge exchange. It also provided an effective platform for strengthening awareness of ICorr among corrosion professionals, academics and industry representatives in China.
Photo 3: ICorr President Dr Yunnan Gao Delivering A Plenary Lecture at ICCPA 2026.
Photo 4 ICorr President Receiving the Certificate of Appreciation at ICCPA 2026.
Strengthening ICorr-EFC and International Collaboration
ICCPA 2026 was particularly significant for ICorr because of its status as an EFC Event No. 549. The conference brought together representatives of the EFC community and provided a valuable opportunity for ICorr to engage directly with EFC colleagues and the wider corrosion community in China.
Photo 5: EFC Delegates at ICCPA 2026, including ICorr President Dr Yunnan Gao.
