Hannover/Stuttgart. When leading industry and R&D experts get together to present and explore the hottest topics and trends of relevance to the surface technology community, their voices are truly heard. More than 1,000 user-industry professionals attended the last SurfaceTechnology GERMANY in Stuttgart. Prospective contributors to next year’s Industrial Forum (16 to 18 June) are now invited to submit their proposals.

The forum will feature a series of sessions covering topics of current interest. For example, in the Industry 4.0 session speakers will explore the many benefits arising from networking and the use of data. Another important topic is energy efficiency: How can businesses cut power consumption and lower costs in times of rising energy prices? Process authorization requirements pursuant to the REACH regulation are yet another topic of major importance to the industry. This particularly pertains to the use of chromium VI, but also to nickel and cobalt. Another session in the Industry Forum is devoted to new methods of extending and enhancing surface properties and functional traits.

The call for papers is open to academics, R&D specialists and industry experts, such as plant managers, heads of department, product engineers and designers and production engineers. The talks will each have 20-minute slots, including follow-up Q&A. For in-depth discussion, breakout sessions can follow in the Speakers' Corner located right next door. The Industry Forum schedule is as follows: Tuesday, 2:00–4:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; and Thursday, 10:00 a.m. –2:00 p.m. Simultaneous German/English translation will be provided. The Industry Forum is organized by WOTech GbR, with support from Fraunhofer IPA and the Surface Technology section of the VDMA engineering federation .

Contact: Herbert Käszmann, WOTech GbR, tel. +49 151 29109892, e-mail