Our joint conference ESIA18–ISSI2026, held in Glasgow on May 18–20, was a resounding success and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all speakers, delegates, partners, organisers and our sponsor (LSI Systems) who contributed to making the conference such a valuable and engaging event.

Across the conference, we explored the challenges, opportunities, and evolving priorities shaping the future of engineering structural integrity. Insightful roundtable discussions examined the impact and challenges associated with emerging growth areas such as artificial intelligence and also the benefits of collaborate activities between technical forums/societies/consortiums having similar interests, while high-quality technical presentations were delivered across five parallel sessions each day covering the nuclear, hydrogen, biomedical, aerospace, offshore wind, and petrochemical sectors.

Several key themes resonated throughout the event:

• the importance of collaboration in delivering sustainable outcomes
• balancing innovation with operational excellence and effective delivery
• the growing need for adaptability, leadership, and strategic thinking
• a shared commitment to developing resilient organisations and future-ready workforces.

Beyond the technical programme, the conference also created valuable opportunities to strengthen professional relationships, exchange expertise, and encourage collaboration across industries. This was particularly evident during the Early Career Council activities, where students and professionals in the early stages of their industrial and postdoctoral careers connected, shared insights, and discussed the opportunities and challenges facing the future of the profession.

The conference also featured three competitive awards, each with two winners and dedicated to former directors of the UK Forum for Engineering Structural Integrity: Rod Smith, Peter Flewitt, and Keith Miller. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate each of our award winners:

Rod Smith awards for Best Posters
Payvand Habibi, University of Strathclyde
Haipeng Liao, South China University of Technology

Peter Flewitt awards for Best Early Career Presentations
Tiantian Liao, The University of Manchester
Guoyao Chen, Wuhan Institute of Technology

Keith Miller awards for Best Overall Presentations
Mark Petkov, Rolls-Royce SMR
Xiaopeng Lu, Northeastern University

Our photo above features Tiantian Liao receiving her Peter Flewitt award from (l–r) Professor Jian-Feng Wen (CSIC Secretary General), Professor Shan-Tung Tu (CSIC Chairman), Professor Ali Mehmanparast (Conference Chair), and John Sharples (FESI Technical Advisor).

Thank you once again to everyone who participated and contributed to the success of ESIA18–ISSI2026. The quality of discussion, collaboration, and knowledge sharing throughout the event reflected the strength of our professional community and its collective commitment to innovation and progress within engineering structural integrity.

We look forward to continuing these conversations in the months ahead and welcoming you to future events.

Ali Mehmanparast
Conference Chair

“[ESIA18–ISSI2026] being the first time I’ve attended a conference I found it to be an invaluable experience. It was quite profound how complete strangers I met on day one, became those I would call friend by day 3. Who says you can’t bond over nerdy engineering talk! 🤓 😁”
—Hussein Jusab (Graduate Technical Engineer, Kinetrics)

“We often read [on social media] about the importance of a digital presence in building a professional identity. But what about real-life presence and building relationships face-to-face? I have just wrapped up an intensive 3-day professional and academic experience at the Engineering Structural Integrity Conference (ESIA18-ISSI2026)…I attended invaluable lectures featuring researchers from all over the world…[and] had the honor of participating in this conference…Stepping out from behind the screens to shake hands with researchers from different countries….was a priceless opportunity to explore the latest scientific advancements in our field through live and spontaneous discussions. A huge thanks to the organisers at FESI for organising such a great event and to all the participants for the engaging discussions.”
—Khaled Sadek (Structural Engineering Student, University of Glasgow)

“It was an honor to give a plenary talk on structural integrity of coldspray additively manufactured composites in the ESIA18–ISSI2026 Structural Integrity conference in Glasgow to showcase the latest results from my ERCCoG project Archidep…Many thanks to the organizing committee, especially Ali and Amanda, for the invitation and the flawless planning. It was great to connect with the FESI community in the UK and build new collaborations.”
—Sara Bagherifard (Associate Professor, Politecnico di Milano)

“[S]uper organisation by FESI & Ali Mehmanparast, with leading discussions on Corrosion, Stress Corrosion Cracking, Hydrogen Embrittlement & Fracture – enjoyed chatting with students/postdocs about projects & ideas.”
—Dirk Engelberg (Professor, The University of Manchester)

“I attended FESI 2026 over three inspiring days at the University of Strathclyde, engaging with researchers and industry professionals across structural integrity, offshore systems, materials, and renewable energy technologies. I am…honoured to have received the Rod Smith Best Poster Award. This recognition means a great deal to me and motivates me to continue developing research in marine renewable energy systems and structural durability…Many thanks to the organisers, FESI, CSIC, and the University of Strathclyde for hosting such a well-organised and engaging event.”
—Payvand Habibi (Research Associate, University of Strathclyde)

“I had an exciting three days attending the ESIA18-ISSI2026 in Glasgow. It was a fantastic opportunity to present my research, chair a session on high-temperature components, reconnect with former colleagues, and meet new collaborators from across the field.”
—Hedieh Jazaeri (Senior Lecturer, The Open University)

“Thank you to FESI for organising such a great event and to all the participants for the engaging discussions. It was great to listen to some excellent presentations and connect with so many people from the structural integrity community. Hoping to stay in touch and cross paths again soon!”
—Ali Alperen Bakir (Senior Engineer, TWI)

“A big congratulations to Ali Mehmanparast and all the team at FESI on organising a fantastic conference. Along with hours of great talks, we were treated to a reception at the wonderfully ornate Glasgow City Chambers, with last night’s gala dinner held in Uni Strathclyde’s impressive Barony Hall. Great to catch up with some old friends and make some new ones!”
—Finian McCann (Director of Postgraduate Studies, Loughborough University)

“Honoured to have presented our research at FESI’s 18th International Engineering Structural Integrity Assessment Conference (ESIA18), held at the Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC), University of Strathclyde, during May 18–20, 2026. It was a great opportunity to interact with leading researchers, industry professionals, and academics working in structural integrity, high-temperature materials, hydrogen technologies, and advanced characterisation. The discussions and feedback were truly valuable and inspiring. Many thanks to the organisers, session chairs, and attendees for an excellent conference and engaging technical discussions.”
—Jayesh Shanthi Bhavan (Lecturer, The Open University)

“Reflecting on a brilliant few days in Glasgow…A big thank you to the Conference Chair Ali Mehmanparast and the organisers for awarding me an Early Career Scholarship to attend and for putting together such a great conference! I look forward to connecting with many of you again at future events.”
—Lydia Pickering (Assistant Professor, University of Birmingham)

“How do we verify and validate AI predictions in a way that satisfies regulatory requirements and builds trust in critical engineering structural integrity assessments? These were some of the questions discussed at the 18th International Engineering Structural Integrity Assessment Conference (ESIA18–ISSI2026) hosted by FESI…Thank you to Amanda Rabbich for the amazing organisation and to Ali Mehmanparast for chairing the conference.”
Albert Atsu Dellor—(STEM Expert AI Data Trainer, Invisible Technologies)

“Grateful to the organizers (Ali Mehmanparast, FESI, University of Strathclyde) for creating such an engaging scientific platform.”
—Gaurav Singh (Postdoctoral Researcher, La Rochelle University)

“A really enjoyable and inspiring week at the University of Strathclyde for the ESIA18-ISSI2026 Structural Integrity Conference organised by FESI!…Many thanks to the organisers, speakers, and all the people I met during the conference. It was a lovely week full of learning, conversations, and new connections. Looking forward to staying in touch and hopefully crossing paths again soon!”
—Panpan Xu (Research Engineer, University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre)

“One of the highlights of the conference was reconnecting with experts in the field…and exchanging new ideas and perspectives. I also had the opportunity to interact with several researchers and professionals…making the experience even more enriching and inspiring. I am sincerely grateful to Ali Mehmanparast, FESI, and the University of Strathclyde for organizing such an interesting and memorable conference. I also had the opportunity to explore the wonderful city of Glasgow.”
—Muhammad Uzair Malik (Postgraduate Researcher, University of Bristol)

“On the final day, I ran an early-careers networking session with David Clarkson, with support from Eleanor Crossley, on behalf of the FESI Early Careers Council. The session aimed to connect like-minded early-career engineers and researchers, helping them expand their networks, gain different perspectives and encourage collaboration. Overall, the conference was a great experience, and I look forward to attending the next one.”
—Oliver Blakesley (Engineering Consultant, Amentum and Co-Chair of FESI Student and Early Career Council)

“I had a fantastic time in Glasgow at the FESI Conference (ESIA18-ISSI2026) a great opportunity to meet and connect with colleagues…Many thanks to Ali Mehmanparast and the organisers for putting together such an excellent event.”
—Beatriz Mingo Román (Senior Lecturer and Royal Academy of Engineering Fellow, The University of Manchester)

“It was great to get to know so many people working in the field of structural integrity from both FESI and CSIC. Thanks so much Ali Mehmanparast and Amanda Rabbich for organizing such a wonderful event!”
Federico Della Santa—(PhD Student, University of Strathclyde)