The World Congress Electrochemical Society Meeting 2023 (ECS) has just been held in Gothenburg. The congress did not end up in the city by chance, the significant capacity of the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre and Gothenburg’s expertise played a decisive role. Among 50 facilities across Europe, it was ultimately Gothenburg that secured the hosting of this prestigious congress in the field of electrochemistry.

“International meetings of this calibre mean a lot for Gothenburg. A world-class venue, expertise within the electrochemical field and close collaboration between actors is crucial. Moreover, it is a superb opportunity for us to showcase what we can offer to a leading American organisation,” says Anna Hylander, project manager for meetings at Gothenburg Convention Bureau/Göteborg & Co.

Electrochemical Society Meeting (ECS) is an American-based meeting which has been held annually since 1902, usually in North America. The last time ECS was in Europe was 15 years ago.

Gothenburg stood out among 50 other cities

At a site-visit to Europe and in competition with several other leading destinations, the meetings organisers were convinced to include a visit in Gothenburg. Once here, the organiser got to experience the city, see the conference facilities, participate in study visits, and meet individuals relevant to the congress’s subject, including Mats Bergh, former CEO of Johanneberg Science Park.
Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre’s outstanding capacity for this type of congress, local expertise in academia and business, combined with local commitment, eventually led to Gothenburg becoming the host city for ECS.

Collaboration with International House can attract new talents

3,400 delegates from 60 countries have visited the congress in Gothenburg. Approximately 22% were from the USA, 31% from Asia while the rest of the delegates were from Europe. Due to this large number of international specialists and talent, International House Gothenburg was on site. As nearly half of the congress delegates are international students, the city took the opportunity to showcase work opportunities and the support available for accompanying families.

“The partnership with the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre has been great. If the organiser is satisfied with the outcome in Gothenburg, we hope ECS will return in the future,” Anna concludes.

Electrochemical Society Fall meeting 2023 – ECS, the 244th congress in the series, took place from October 8 to 12, 2023, at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg. Electrochemical science has numerous applications, ranging from energy technology to biomedical innovations. The congress covered various aspects of electrochemical science, including batteries and energy storage, corrosion science, luminescence and display materials, as well as organic and bioelectrochemistry.
International House Gothenburg is tasked with providing international talents, here for work or study, with an efficient, personal, and professional reception, along with guidance for seamless integration into Swedish society.