Mark Vender
Two of the world’s leading HVAC&R member organisations have put pen to paper on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) and the UK-based Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) formalised the agreement on January 14 at the ASHRAE Winter Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
The MoU is aimed at “furthering a more effective and beneficial exchange of knowledge and ideas in the HVAC&R industry”. In practical terms it will provide the members of AIRAH and IOR access to each other’s technical resources, foster global collaboration on research projects, and provide shared training opportunities.
The two organisations have also agreed to give full support to International Refrigeration Day, slated for June 26. The day will see refrigeration-themed celebrations taking place across the globe including in the UK and Australia to raise the profile of the industry.
AIRAH president Ian Harwood, F.AIRAH (pictured left), says the MoU is a perfect move for both organisations and specifically supports AIRAH’s strategic aims.
“We are always looking to highlight the importance of the R in AIRAH,” says Harwood. “Our agreement with the Institute of Refrigeration will help us achieve that. It will also allow HVAC&R professionals on opposite sides of the globe to access each other’s knowledge and best practices, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.”
IOR president Kevin Glass, FInstR (pictured right), applauds the agreement.
“Our organisations have a long and proud history in their respective countries, with the IOR founded in 1899 and AIRAH in 1920,” says Glass. “A century later, the challenges we face are more intrinsically linked than ever, especially with the HFC phase-down driving major change all over the world, and the growing focus on sustainability – a focus that we share.”
The presidents thanked AIRAH CEO Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH, and IOR immediate past president Steve Gill, FInstR, for laying the groundwork for the agreement.
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