Logo ICR 2023

26th InternationalCongress ofRefrigeration

21st to 25th August 2023

Paris Congress Center

Towards efficient, controlled and smart Refrigeration

Themes of the congress

  • Cryophysics & cryoengineering
  • Liquefaction & separation of gases
  • Thermodynamics & transfer processes
  • Refrigerating equipment
  • Cryobiology, cryomedicine & health products
  • Food science & engineering
  • Refrigerated storage
  • Refrigerated transport
  • Air conditioning
  • Heat pumps & energy recovery


Thermodynamics, Equipment and Systems(Section B) and Air Conditioning, Heat pumps and Energy Recovery (Section E) are key refrigeration domains.

The demand for air conditioning and heat pumps is skyrocketing. We need to use more renewable energies (solar panels...), to limit the energy impact thanks to heat recovery systems and a better energy efficiency of the equipment, while using lower global warming potential refrigerants.

This requires improvements in the thermodynamic and transport properties of working fluids and in the analysis of components and equipment. Topics of great interest include the selection of next-generation refrigerants for lower environmental impact, as well as advanced cycle architectures, combined systems, smart systems, and components, and using advanced manufacturing techniques for system components to achieve higher energy efficiency. Research and innovation on general energy systems to implement sustainable heat and refrigeration are welcome."


Cryobiology, cryomedicine & health products, Food science & engineering (Section C) covers the cold chain from production or manufacture to the consumption or use of products.

Refrigerated storage and Refrigerated transport (Section D) covers the issues of equipment, storage, transportation over land, air or water, packaging, distribution and delivery of products to the consumer, avoidance of food loss and the traceability of the cold chain.


Temperature controlled storage, logistics and distribution of temperature-sensitive products, from foodstuffs to health products, even chemicals is vital to our modern way of life.
The cold chain is now under pressure to balance greenhouse gases emissions from food loss and waste against the emissions associated with the use of refrigeration. At the same time the cold chain is rapidly developing in lower income countries, the costs for energy are increasing and there are issues with energy security and supply. Greater emphasis is being placed on emissions from refrigerants. This is providing a focus for low emission and efficient cold chains that utilize low GWP and natural refrigerants.

Challenges currently being addressed include better storage techniques, better thermal insulation, low to zero GWP refrigerants, efficient thermal integration techniques and technologies, and sustainable energy to meet the need for reduced energy demand.
Clearly there is a lot of work to be done and we hope to see many papers at the forthcoming congress to help address these multiple challenges.


Cryogenics and liquefied gases (section A) focuses on refrigeration science and technology at low temperatures. The cryogenic domain covers the lower part of the temperature scale - starting at zero K (almost zero) with the physics and engineering at very low temperatures up to 120 K (−153 °C). The area of CRYOGENICS is covered by the IIR commission A1 “Cryophysics and cryoengineering” and the commission A2 “Liquefaction and separation of gases”.

CRYOGENICS is a key technology for current and future global challenges like energy supply, environment protection, mobility, health and life sciences, space exploration, nuclear fusion and particle physics. CRYOGENICS is facing many different challenges and has cutting-edge technology fields such as:


  • applied superconductivity for energy systems, nuclear fusion and particle accelerators
  • cryogenic fuels, in particular liquid hydrogen and LNG
  • cryogenic energy storage, cryogenic separation of isotopes
  • space cryogenics
  • ultra low temperatures and mK-refrigeration

CRYOGENICS is interdisciplinary linked with IIR commission C1 “Cryobiology, cryomedicine”. Cryogenic refrigeration and cold application in life sciences are used in various areas of medicine and biology. These include the fields of cryobiology, cryosurgery and cryotherapy.

CRYOGENICS is a part of the next IIR flagship event, the ICR 2023 in Paris.