Ireland has been successful in its bid to attract a significant scientific conference to the Convention Centre Dublin in 2018. Almost two thousand experts in aspects of clean and efficient energy and propulsion technologies, fire safety and power generation will visit the capital in 2018 for the 37th International Symposium on Combustion.

The Dublin bid was put together by a consortium of researchers from NUI Galway, University of Limerick and University of Ulster, who saw off competition to host the event from London and the Turkish capital Ankara.

The announcement was made at a recent meeting in San Francisco by the Board of the Combustion Institute, an educational non-profit, scientific and engineering society.

NUI Galway’s Professor John M. Simmie is Chair of the Irish Section of the Combustion Institute. He explains the importance of research in this field: “In Ireland, 96% of the energy we use is derived from the burning of fuels and 85% of the energy we use is imported, one of the highest figures in Europe. As the effects of climate change begin to be felt around the world, cleaner more efficient fuels and combustion technologies must be developed.”

The 2018 Dublin meeting will follow on from San Francisco in 2014 and Seoul in 2016. The voting board members were impressed with the amenities and facilities offered by the Dublin bid, in addition to the scientific stature of the local organising committee.

Professor John M. Simmie added: “There is a critical mass of researchers in Ireland focussed on this field of science and this is reflected in the decision of the Combustion Institute to bring their symposium here. Through collaboration among scientists and advances in the combustion research, we intend to unlock more energy from the resources we currently use and engineer solutions for the planet's long term sustainability.”

The Irish Section of the Combustion Institute will host the symposium having secured strong support, both financial and motivational, from Government agencies Fáilte Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland - the latter through an Exceptional Conference Award. Those agencies were thanked by the local organising committee which consists of Professor Henry Curran (NUI Galway), Dr Stephen Dooley (University of Limerick), Professor Vladimir Molkov (University of Ulster), Dr Rory Monaghan (NUI Galway) and Professor Emeritus John Simmie (NUI Galway), The committee also thanked the support of Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway and Professor Don Barry, President of University of Limerick.

Positive support was also obtained from a number of organisations including Aer Lingus, the Environmental Protection Agency, ESB International, GE Energy Kalman Ltd., the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, and the Ministers for Research and Innovation, and, Transport, Tourism and Sport.

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