Uniting 23 countries for cryogenics progress:...

The 18^th edition of the IIR Conference on Cryogenics took place from April 7 to 11, 2025, in Prague, Czech Republic. It was supported by an organising committee of 18 experts from the Czech Republic and Germany and brought together 138 participants from 23 countries.

With 80 high-level scientific contributions, the event once again confirmed its importance as a leading platform in the cryogenics field.

Held every two years, the conference is a joint initiative of the IIR Commissions A1 (Cryophysics and Cryoengineering), A2 (Liquefaction and Separation of Gases), and C1 (Cryobiology and Cryomedicine). The conference was chaired by Vaclav Chrz (Czech Republic) and Ralf Herzog (Germany). Each commission led a dedicated day of sessions:

April 8 (A1): Topics included cryogenics in particle physics, superconductivity, quantum technologies, microscopy, cryocoolers, and cryostats.
April 9 (A2): Sessions focused on hydrogen liquefaction, liquid hydrogen storage and transport, cryogenics for clean energy systems, and rare gases.
April 10 (C1): Discussions covered cryopreservation of cells, tissues and organs, plant cryobiology, cryogenic electron microscopy, and cryotherapy.

Contributions included the cryogenics in particle physics to reach new horizons in neutrino experiments, with the high-luminosity LHC at CERN and future colliders. Applied superconductivity for new accelerators, cryogenics for quantum computing and cryogenic microscopy were special topics. Physical properties at low temperatures and cryogenic refrigerators were also addressed.

In the field of liquefied gases, the focus was on liquid hydrogen technology, including efficient liquefaction, liquid hydrogen storage tanks, safety and cryogenic insulation. Special aspects of LNG fuelling of vehicles and technology of rare gases recovery and separation were analysed.

Cold application in life sciences were covered in the session on cryobiology and cryopreservation. It included cryobiology of plants, long-term storage, biobanking and large-scale conservation of cells and tissues for medical use. A top issue was the vitrification, the ultra-fast freezing of different kinds of cells and tissue such as vascular tissue preservation, paving a way to preservation of organs. Technological developments for cryofreezing of biological structures were also presented.

Winners of the best poster award — 2025 Best Poster Awards, from left to right:
Romana Kočová, Adriana L. Klyszejko, Quirin Schneider, Thomas Just, Ralf Herzog, Vaclav Chrz, Ziad Melhem.

The lively exchange of ideas and experience was facilitated by a large exhibition area. The event also included a poster session, a conference dinner, and 10 online meetings, contributing to a rich and interactive program.

Meeting of IIR A1, A2 and C1 Commission members and Conference organising committee members

A Joint Commission Meeting was held on April 10, gathering members of A1, A2, and C1 to:

Present and discuss the 2024–2027 work plans
Propose the revival of the “Cold Applications in Life Sciences” workshop series
Evaluate the outcomes of the 2025 edition and explore improvements for future conferences

The meeting praised the event’s strong scientific content, growing interest in emerging areas such as liquid hydrogen and quantum technologies, and the well-balanced mix of research, industrial applications, and biology.

“Many thanks go to the conference organising committee, which for many years has consisted of cryogenic specialists from the Czech Republic and Germany, as well as to the ICCEX organising agency for their hospitality and the very good organization. The 18^th Cryogenics was another successful example of international partnership under the umbrella of the IIR.” — Vaclav Chrz, Ralf Herzog, Steffen Grohmann.

The 19^th Cryogenics IIR International Conference will take place in April 2027 in Dresden, Germany.

Uniting 23 countries for cryogenics progress: Highlights from the 2025 IIR Cryogenics Conference