Steel Research Center completed the signing of MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with VUZ Welding Research Institute, Slovak Republic on July 3

(from front row left) Dr. Peter Klamo, Director of VUZ, after providing his signature and K. Nagai, Director-General of SRC, (from back row left) Dr. L. Mraz, Director of Division Testing Materials and K. Hiraoka, Associate Director of the Welding Metallurgy Group

Kotobu Nagai, Director-General of the Steel Research Center, and I visited VUZ in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, and completed the signing of MOU with Peter Klamo, the head of VUZ, on July 3. Like TWI (The Welding Institute) and E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute, VUZ is considered to be one of the most important welding research institutes in Europe.

VUZ has produced a large number of talented researchers in the field of welding metallurgy. In particular, Dr. L. Mraz, Director of Division Testing Materials, and Dr. D. Sefcik, Director of Welding Material Division, have established the foundation of the research at the institute, which has the feature of being able to work in step-like processes, i.e., taking research projects and utilizing them for practical use and commercialization and extending the results for consulting use. In the past some of their employees worked abroad at NRIM (which is currently NIMS, The National Institute for Materials Science); therefore, there is a lot of interaction amongst the researchers. VUZ is recognized to be an institute that not only conducts research, but also provides the opportunity for welding education and welding authorization. It has a satellite like corporate organization with approximately 100 researchers and educators and a total staff of about 300 including technicians.

The evaluation of the welded joint of high strength steel and the development of welding material was initiated with the signing of MOU. In addition, we hope to promote the research cooperation of welding metallurgy, as well as the exchange of information and the interaction of researchers, and to establish a solid relationship with VUZ by working closely with them as our European partner. During our stay, they showed a strong interest towards low transformation–temperature welding materials, and we were able to discuss the topic of having some of their young researchers work as visitors at NIMS; therefore, I felt that this signing ceremony was very significant for us.

(Kazuo Hiraoka, Welding Metallurgy Group)

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