90th IEC General Meeting

Global Development. Driven by Standards.

16-20 November 2026

Hamburg, Germany

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Message from the IEC President Jim Matthews

It is my great honor to welcome you to the IEC General Meeting 2026 in Hamburg. Together we are paving the way for a safe, all-electric, connected and sustainable future for all. The GM will gather leading experts from all over the world for collaboration in electrotechnical standardization, joining in to shape the future together.

Standards and conformity assessment are the invisible infrastructure for global development. They create trust, enable connectivity and foster fair access to markets. They empower sustainable technologies, digital transformation, and resilient economies. Standards do not merely follow development, they drive it. As the world grapples with shared challenges such as ensuring safe technological progress, clean energy access and sustainable cities for people, the discussions and decisions at the IEC General Meeting 2026 are more than just event outcomes – they are a unique accelerator for global progress.

Given the significance of the meeting, it is fitting  that this year the GM will be in Hamburg, a city built on trade, hospitality, and technological prowess.  Hosting the GM in Hamburg, symbolizes the strong role the city plays as an innovation capital: a hub where technical expertise meets global responsibility.

I warmly invite you to engage fully, with dialogue, with curiosity, and with commitment. Together, we will lead with trust and inclusion, building a safer future of technology for the benefit of all and I look forward to the meaningful conversations and joint progress we will achieve together in Hamburg.

Message from the DKE Management

Contributing to meaningful global dialogue and orchestrating the work of our expert community is a real privilege. Therefore, on behalf of the National Committee of Germany we warmly invite you to join us in Hamburg, in Germany’s gateway to the world, to the 90th IEC General Meeting 2026.

Since the 19th century, standardization has ensured safety, reliability, and sustainability in electrical and information technologies – always serving the public good. For almost 120 years, we have worked together globally and successfully under the IEC framework.

Today, we face major global challenges, and they require global perspectives: energy transition, digitalization, mobility, communication. Under the IEC umbrella, we create standards through dialogue, openness, and mutual respect. They ensure safety, progress, fairness, and a better life for people everywhere. Today, this work is more relevant than ever. We’re dealing with fast-changing technologies, increasing complexity, and the urgent need for hands-on solutions. And standardization helps turn innovation into impact – across sectors, across borders.

The IEC General Meeting is the annual highlight of this global collaboration. As a community of like-minded experts, we represent more than 170 countries. The impact of our work is significant as we will experience together again in 2026 in Hamburg. The strong international cooperation within the IEC paves the way for the future of our electrified world. This is how we help set the course for a better tomorrow. For global development, driven by standards.

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For further inquiries, please contact: iecgm2026.dke@vde.com