IIR launches mentorship programme to connect the next...

Why now

The refrigeration and heat pump sector sits at the heart of major global challenges, from the cold chain for food and vaccines, to the phase-down of high-GWP refrigerants under the Kigali Amendment, to the electrification of heating and the growing demand for sustainable cooling in a warming world. Yet the sector faces a well-documented skills and succession gap: experienced professionals are approaching retirement while young talent struggles to find visible, well-defined career pathways compared to adjacent engineering disciplines.

IIR's international network brings together an unusual asset to address this: senior experts with decades of experience, and a growing community of young professionals seeking orientation, connections and role models. A structured mentorship programme offers a low-cost, high-impact way to connect these two groups and transfer knowledge across generations.

How the programme works

The pilot cohort will bring together five mentoring pairs over a nine-month journey, from October 2026 to August 2027, structured in three phases:

Launch (October 2026) : a virtual kick-off event where mentors and mentees meet, programme expectations are set, and each pair signs a mentoring agreement covering goals, meeting frequency, and confidentiality.
Mentoring (November 2026–July 2027) : at least one 45–60 minute one-to-one session per month, built around two to three concrete development goals chosen by each pair, for example, preparing a conference presentation, navigating a career transition, understanding certification pathways, or building a publication record. A mid-term check-in in March 2027 brings the full cohort together to share experiences.
Closing (August 2027) : an in-person gathering at the Congress of Refrigeration, where pairs present their journeys and outcomes and receive certificates of participation.

Matching is done deliberately, based on each mentee's career stage, interests and goals, matched against mentor profiles, with both sides confirming the pairing before the programme begins.

Who can take part

Participation is open to IIR members only, as mentees and as mentors. Mentees are early-career engineers and PhD candidates, typically with zero to five years of experience. Selection is based on motivation and commitment, with an emphasis on diversity of gender, geography and career path.

Mentors are senior professionals from academia or industry with at least ten to fifteen years of experience. The time commitment is deliberately light, roughly one to two hours a month, reflecting the honorary and recognised nature of the role.

" These days, social media platforms allow us to connect with people very quickly. However, these connections are often very short-lived and therefore rarely provide significant value. This program is designed to counteract precisely this short-lived nature: genuine connections in a very promising industry, with valuable exchanges," said Christian Vering, President of IIR Careers in Refrigeration Working Group.

Get involved

Applications for the founding cohort of mentees and mentors open in September 2026. Five mentees and five mentors will be selected for this pilot round.

Submit your application here

About the IIR

The International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to advancing refrigeration and heat pump technologies and their application for a sustainable future. With the world’s most comprehensive knowledge base, peer-reviewed publications, and regular international scientific conferences, the IIR drives the dissemination of cutting-edge research and fosters global collaboration across the sector. The IIR connects researchers, industry experts, and policymakers to support informed decision-making and turn scientific progress into practical and reliable applications. Founded after the first International Congress of Refrigeration held in 1908, the IIR is a global reference, providing trusted knowledge and data to support the deployment of sustainable, efficient refrigeration technologies essential to food security, healthcare, and climate action.

Press contact or any question, send to : n.nabila@iifiir.org / +33 (0) 1 42 27 32 35