Maintain relationships, set standards

Maintain relationships, set standards

Every two years, the members of the ICCCS (International Confederation of Contamination Control Societies) meet at different locations for an international symposium on contamination control. The program includes numerous lectures, but also the participants of the ISO standard groups hold meetings. This year, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich university building was the venue – also to remember the beginnings in 1972.

From September 3rd to 7th, representatives of cleanroom technology associations from around the world gathered here at the invitation of the Swiss umbrella organization SwissCCS, formerly SRRT, to exchange and inform themselves about research trends and the latest scientific findings. Furthermore, in this framework, the permanent working groups met to advise on ISO standards and to establish them.

The atmosphere in the Zurich university building was relaxed and personal. People knew each other, exchanged ideas, and refreshed contacts. The university building provided the suitable, somewhat unconventional environment. Lecture halls, seminar rooms, the foyer, cafeteria, and passageways were used for various purposes. Some selected companies from the cleanroom industry presented their products at compact booths, participants listened to speakers in the rooms about their latest investigations, others sat in circles discussing hygiene standards or cleanroom topics such as electromagnetic field control. About 80 lectures were scheduled. In between, small snacks with coffee, tea, soft drinks, and fruit were served. During lunch – either in the cafeteria in the adjacent building or at one of the nearby restaurants – there was time to engage more intensively with colleagues from around the world and to expand contacts. The program was organized by the Swiss Society for Cleanroom Technology, SwissCCS (Swiss Contamination Control Society), formerly SRRT. The voluntary efforts and unpaid dedication of the board members were particularly notable. Alfred Moser, an ETH engineer and the general secretary of the event, kept an overview and managed the threads, even when it came to organizing the necessary presentation technology for a speaker at short notice.

Overall, more than 150 participants from 20 countries attended the ICCCS Symposium 2012. "We participate regularly," says Myung-Do Oh from South Korea, "mainly to share our ideas and discuss with other professionals and colleagues." Myung-Do Oh is a professor at Seoul University. He traveled with a delegation of 15 scientists to Zurich. The next ICCCS conference will be held in Seoul in 2014, and two years later, Brazil will host it.
The company Siemens will also participate again every two years. "We decided to move away from large trade fairs," explained Thomas Riffel from Siemens Switzerland. "Talking here with just ten people is more valuable than talking at other events with fifty." His reason for attending the ICCCS Symposium: "We want to stay on the pulse and catch the latest trends, which might only become market topics in three or four years." Harald Kocher, who served chilled beer at the cleanroom module of Ritterwand in the foyer to the delight of the heated conference participants, also appreciated the opportunity to maintain contacts and meet the next generation. "You also meet many university graduates here," said Kocher. "And they are the ones who will make decisions tomorrow."

The future and history of the cleanroom industry are inextricably linked at ETH Zurich. The origins of the symposium go back 40 years, to 1972, when a small international group, consisting of companies from the then very young cleanroom industry, decided to organize a meeting that would stand out from all others: "We wanted more than just an exchange of commercial interests," recalls Dr. Hans Schicht, a founding member of the symposium and honorary member of SwissCCS. "And we had several goals: to hold an independent international conference every two years, to develop international norms and standards, to exchange ideas about the latest trends, and to make the cleanroom industry more well-known." The timing was good, and the idea received applause. The circle of participants also grew steadily. "The first two decades were a pioneering era," says Schicht. "A lot of new things emerged in the industry." In 1990, the symposium was held for the second time in Zurich. With 550 participants, the peak was reached.

Since then, much has changed; the industry has expanded and specialized. Standards have been internationally introduced. In 1992, the International Committee for Cleanroom Technology was founded, which in turn developed working groups with sometimes more than 35 participants. Today, the ICCCS Symposium is their regular platform. It also offers a forum for innovations in the cleanroom sector. Those interested in current research at universities and what can be expected in the cleanroom industry in the coming years will find information there. The next event will be on the Asian continent.