ShareEditorial by Didier Coulomb
The International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) is 100 years old. A number of events are to be held in IIR member countries in order to mark the IIR's centenary. The Focus of this issue describes these events, and throughout 2008 all issues of the Newsletter will update readers on events celebrating the centenary. A major global event is a conference, jointly organized by the IIR and the French Refrigeration Association (AFF), to be held on Thursday June 12, 2008 at the headquarters of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Paris, France. AFF is also celebrating its centenary this year. The joint conference illustrates the spirit in which these events are being organized, and the IIR and AFF are also working together to produce documents celebrating the centenaries of both organizations. During the morning, the conference will feature a brief introduction to the history of refrigeration and its uses in four key sectors: cryogenics, health, air conditioning and food. The afternoon sessions will be devoted to two vital issues of vital importance, climate change and sustainable development, along with future technologies. Instead of long presentations dealing with these issues, we have opted for short presentations given by well-known experts along with round-table discussions involving above all industrial stakeholders from the sectors in question and sponsors of the centenary events. Let's hope that public opinion and the media will draw on this 1-day event, and all the other events held worldwide, to give refrigeration the dynamic and innovative image it deserves. The conference programme, along with information on all the other events, is available on our Web site: www.iifiir.org. Keep your eye on it! Didier Coulomb Director of the IIR