icon Add as a preferred source Download PDF version

During their annual meeting, the members of the International Water Mist Association (IWMA) elected a new Chair. His name: is Max Lakkonen!

Max Lakkonen

Max Lakkonen is the Managing Director of IFAB – the Institute for Applied Fire Safety Research headquartered in Berlin, Germany. He has been involved with IWMA since 2005, when he gave his first presentation at the International Water Mist Conference.

Since 2009, he has been serving as IWMA’s representative in the NFPA 750 technical committee. He is also a member of the NFPA Technical Committees 130. He has been a member of the IWMA Scientific Council for over ten years.

leveraging experience

Max Lakkonen says, "I am honored to continue the excellent work of Bert Yu (FM Global), the former Chair of the Scientific Council. As the newly appointed Chair, my objective is to leverage my experience to enhance the water mist industry."

He adds, "Together, as a Scientific Council, we are committed to serving the fire protection industry in all matters related to water mist systems."

IWMA Scientific Council

The IWMA Scientific Council is a group of well-experienced fire protection scientists and engineers

The election of a new Chairperson for the IWMA Scientific Council had become inevitable after Prof. Hong-Zeng Yu, who had been Chair of the council since 2007, had retired from his position at FM Global and consequently stepped down from his position within IWMA.

The IWMA Scientific Council is a group of well-experienced fire protection scientists and engineers from testing laboratories, authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), research institutes, and universities around the world.

technical and scientific guidance

It provides advisory input to IWMA on technical and scientific matters, evaluates the IWMA conference abstracts, and applications for the IWMA Young Talent Award, and offers guidance to the water mist industry.

It also participates in research programs and provides technical and scientific guidance to the fire protection industry, especially when related to water mist systems or best practises.

In case you missed it

WAGNER's Fire Protection Solutions At BUILDINX 2025
WAGNER's Fire Protection Solutions At BUILDINX 2025

WAGNER Group GmbH will be presenting pioneering solutions for fire protection in modern logistics properties at BUILDINX 2025 in Dortmund from November 18 to 20, 2025. The foc...

Spare A Minute For Maintenance
Spare A Minute For Maintenance

With new fire safety regulations around the corner and a renewed focus on responsible persons and coordination, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK discusses the significance of fire door h...

Fire-Dex Unveils Fire Investigation PPE For Safety
Fire-Dex Unveils Fire Investigation PPE For Safety

Fire investigators have long worked in a gray area of protection where full structural turnouts are overkill, but single-layer garments may not cover every single hazard they encou...

vfd