News from the IFO

Das IFO Institut für Oberflächentechnik nimmt zum ersten Mal vom 27. bis 29. Mai am 31st PTC Electroplating Symposium in Masuria, Poland. This year’s event is themed “Der Wandel in der Verzinkungsbranche – von Tradition zu Innovation”. 

Das traditionelle Branchentreffen der Verzinkungsindustrie bietet Fachvorträge, Diskussionen und Einblicke in aktuelle Entwicklungen, Herausforderungen und Chancen der Branche sowie des Bausektors. 

Wir freuen uns auf den fachlichen Austausch und spannende Gespräche vor Ort. 

IFO und QUBUS waren in der vergangenen Woche erneut auf der Surface Technology in Stuttgart vertreten. Der Besuch war geprägt von zahlreichen Fachgesprächen, intensivem Networking sowie einem regen Austausch mit Bestands- und Neukunden. 

A particular highlight was the visit by a delegation from the Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Region Ostwürttemberg (WiRO). Frank Schüle, Bereichsleiter Umwelt- und Arbeitssicherheit, mit WiRO-Geschäftsführerin Nadine Kaiser sowie dem Ersten Bürgermeister der Stadt Schwäbisch Gmünd, Christian Baron ins Gespräch. Im Mittelpunkt standen der Wandel in der Region sowie aktuelle Herausforderungen wie Energiepreise, Transformation und geopolitische Risiken. 

Der persönliche Austausch vor Ort bleibt ein wichtiger Impulsgeber für Kooperationen, Fachkräftesicherung und technologische Weiterentwicklung. 

Die Schwäbisch Gmünder Musical Factory e.V. fördert seit fast 30 Jahren Kinder und Jugendliche im Alter von 6 bis 27 Jahren in den Bereichen Gesang, Tanz und Schauspiel. Alle zwei Jahre bringt das Ensemble mit rund 60 Darsteller ein großes Musicalprojekt auf die Bühne. 

Mit dem diesjährigen Stück “Die Rückkehr von Peter Pan” entführen fliegende Darsteller und ein Piratenschiff das Publikum in die Welt Nimmerlands. 

Die Aufführungen finden vom 08. – 10. Mai im Stadtgarten in Schwäbisch Gmünd statt. 

Since 2005, Bandcamp Aalen has been bringing young musicians together to form bands, develop songs and gain their first stage experience. Together with an experienced team of instructors, a creative space has developed over the years in which talent, exchange and live music take centre stage. 

IFO and QUBUS have been supporting Bandcamp and thus the regional music scene and cultural diversity for several years now. You can find out more about Bandcamp here.

On Sunday 29 March, the music will be presented at a public concert at Kapfenburg Castle. 

We are pleased to announce that the Dr Herrmann GmbH & Co. KG from July 2026 part of the IFO / QUBUS Group will be. Through this merger, we are pooling our expertise and strengthening our joint service portfolio in surface technology - with real added value for our customers and partners. 

For Dr Herrmann's customers, everything remains as they know it: Trusted contacts, proven quality and independent working methods of the laboratory will be retained in full. The traditional Powder Symposium will also be continued - from 2027 under the management of the IFO / QUBUS Group. We look forward to further developing this established event together and continuing the success story. 

The merger is a clear signal for Continuity, reliability and sustainability in an industry that is characterised by technological development and a high focus on quality. 

IFO and QUBUS will be presenting their range of services for planning, consulting, testing and analysing surface technology at Surface Technology 2026. 

At stand C41 (39) in hall 1, visitors will learn how corrosion risks can be detected early on with climate change tests, how product certifications can be used strategically and how optimised system planning saves time and money. 

Personal dialogue focuses on individual questions and practical solutions. 

Testing, planning, optimising - at the 35th Powder Symposium in Dresden we will be presenting the comprehensive range of services offered by IFO Institut für Oberflächentechnik GmbH and QUBUS Planung und Beratung Oberflächentechnik GmbH. 

At our stand, we will be talking about real-life challenges and offering suitable solutions from a single source. 

We look forward to the professional exchange! 

Image: Marc Holz, Dr Benjamin Fiedler

The QUBUS and IFO group of companies will be presenting their combined engineering services and laboratory expertise at PaintExpo 2026. 

Visit our exhibition stand, stand number 1421 in hall 1. 

You can find more information about PaintExpo here: https://www.paintexpo.de

2025 was a particularly eventful year for us: countless exciting discussions, customer contacts and joint projects made our anniversary year something very special. Our highlights included the big anniversary celebration in July, the reaccreditation of our laboratory in Dubai and the opening of our new location in Poland. 

We would like to sincerely thank all our customers and contacts for their trust, cooperation and valuable dialogue. 

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026! 

We will be on holiday from 19 December up to and including 4 January. We will be back for you as usual from 5 January. 

New challenges and exciting tasks await us again in 2026 - we look forward to shaping the future together with you. 

Behind every high-quality product are employees who not only know the quality requirements, but also implement them consistently in their day-to-day work. 

The current issue of besser lackieren 20/25 shows how qualification acts as a strategic investment - and how further training to become a DIN-certified coating inspector helps to ensure sustainable quality standards. 

Read the full technical article here. 

If you want to ensure quality in the long term, we offer practical training - for example as a DIN-certified coating inspector. You can find more information here.