Changes to iia Working Groups

During a recent iia strategy review, and following feedback from the iia board and members, it has been decided to replace the iia Gamma and the iia EB/X Working Groups with a single group that will support all radiation processing technologies. This decision was made in recognition of the shared and overlapping needs of irradiation technologies. The irradiation market has evolved rapidly in recent years and, since the iia working groups were originally formed, there has been an increased interest in all irradiation technologies from within iia member organisations. Of course, the new group will give focus to individual technologies as and when required, such as the ongoing initiatives in support of low energy e-beam and the publication of a cybersecurity best practice guide.

The new iia Technologies Working Group will be formed in early 2026 and will be jointly run by Thomas Kroc (iia US Representative) and Martin Comben (iia EMEA Representative & International Partnerships). Initial plans include a webinar to share information about control systems, automation and product handing at irradiation facilities for early 2026. Later in the year, we are planning an update to the 2018 technology comparison document that is still often referenced today and is due an update. All members are invited to contribute.

Please contact Martin Comben at mcomben@iiaglobal.com or Thomas Kroc at tkroc@iiaglobal.com if you have any comments or questions on this change. As always, we welcome your suggestions of initiatives that can be undertaken by the iia Technologies Working Group.