Structural Concrete 2050: 7th fib Congress 2026 Concludes Successfully in Lisbon

From 15 to 19 June 2026, the 7th fib Congress – International Federation for Structural Concrete was held at Culturgest and Instituto Superior Técnico, marking the first time that the federation's flagship congress took place in Portugal. The fib, the world's leading international association in the field of structural concrete, was established in 1998 through the merger of the CEB – Comité Euro-International du Béton and the FIP – Fédération Internationale de la Précontrainte.

The fib organises annual symposia and, every four years, its international congresses, continuing the tradition of the former FIP. Under the theme "Structural Concrete 2050: Towards Carbon Neutrality, AI Design, and Robotic Construction", the 2026 Congress was a remarkable success, bringing together approximately 1,200 delegates from 68 countries.

CERIS researchers played a prominent role throughout the congress, contributing to its scientific programme through the presentation of research papers, participation in technical sessions, and involvement in the organisation of the event, reaffirming CERIS's commitment to advancing research and innovation in structural concrete at the international level.

More than 1,100 abstracts were submitted, resulting in 840 papers accepted for presentation and publication in the congress proceedings, which comprise more than 7,800 pages. The scientific programme featured 150 parallel sessions, including four special sessions dedicated to the fib's more than 40 National Groups, its 12 Commissions, and several international, regional, and national organisations connected to the structural concrete sector.

In addition to its extensive technical and scientific programme, the congress offered numerous networking and social activities. Highlights included the welcome reception, accompanied by a live jazz band, and the gala dinner, attended by more than 700 participants, featuring Portuguese music and the presentation of the fib Awards for Outstanding Concrete Structures.

The technical exhibition welcomed 42 sponsors—including 3 Platinum, 7 Gold, 18 Silver, and 14 Bronze sponsors—and fostered strong engagement with delegates, enhanced by an interactive Quiz Game organised for participants.

The Student Competition was another highlight of the event, bringing together 14 teams from 12 countries. The experimental testing took place at Instituto Superior Técnico and was live-streamed to delegates attending the congress at Culturgest.

The cultural programme was enriched by the exhibition "Portuguese Bridges: A Tribute to Edgar Cardoso," curated by Professor Júlio Appleton.

On the final day, participants had the opportunity to join one of three technical visits: two focused on concrete buildings and one dedicated to the Vasco da Gama Bridge, which included a boat tour on the River Tagus.

The closing ceremony honoured one of the fib's most symbolic traditions. Professor Eduardo Júlio, Chair of the Organising Committee, rang the congress bell before officially handing it over to the Chair of the Organising Committee of the next fib Congress, to be held in Kyoto, Japan, in 2030.