The world comes to Lübeck: IMC 2026 brings together international masonry expertise

The International Masonry Conference (IMC) is one of the world‘s most important specialist conferences on masonry. From 12 to 15 July 2026, it will be held in Germany for the first time since 2010 – in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. The venue is the Lübeck Music and Congress Hall (MUK). The Federal Association of the German Brick Industry is supporting the conference as an official partner.

The IMC was founded in London in 1986 and has established itself as a four-yearly international platform for masonry research, industrial innovation and construction practice. This year, the Technical University of Lübeck is hosting the 11th IMC in cooperation with Lund University. The Hanseatic city of Lübeck, with its centuries-old brick-making tradition, offers a setting that is both symbolic and professionally appropriate.

International platform for research, standardisation and practice

The IMC connects science, planning, industry and construction practice at an international level. More than 160 technical papers from 39 countries across five continents underscore the global importance of masonry and fired clay products in a dynamically changing construction sector.

The focus is on topics that are equally relevant to research and practice:

Masonry materials and testing methods, product properties and quality assurance, load-bearing behaviour and seismic design, durability, automation and artificial intelligence. The programme is complemented by contributions on the circular economy, the reuse of fired clay bricks and low-carbon solutions in solid construction.

Special sessions on norms, standards and performance-based planning will build an important bridge between scientific findings and regulatory frameworks. Renowned keynote speakers from academia, government and industry will also address strategic issues such as sustainable procurement, cost efficiency, reuse of building products and the role of masonry in resilient and affordable residential buildings.

All accepted contributions will be published in the official conference proceedings of the Fraunhofer Information Centre for Planning and Building IRB, ensuring international visibility and long-term accessibility for industry, planning and research.

Technical exchange and special programme items

The lecture programme covers the entire spectrum of modern masonry construction, ranging from basic research and numerical and experimental investigations to practical application in buildings.

A special highlight is the PhD Challenge, which is aimed specifically at young researchers. The focus is on a 2.50 m long thermal insulation lintel with two-layer brickwork. The task for participants is to make predictions about key parameters such as deflection, initial crack load or maximum load based on specified geometry and material parameters. And all this before the experiment is carried out in the laboratory at Lübeck Technical University.

The challenge combines theory, calculation and experimentation and demonstrates how scientific findings can be put into practice. In addition to learning success and experience, attractive prizes await. The results may also provide impetus for the further development of national and international design rules.

Accompanying the conference, the travelling exhibition of the German Brick Award 2024 will be on display in Lübeck. It presents outstanding contemporary brick architecture. Further industry exhibitions, award ceremonies and professional networking formats are planned and offer additional opportunities for exchange and innovation.

The programme will be rounded off by a technical excursion, including a visit to the renovation of the twin towers of Lübeck Cathedral, which illustrates the long-term performance and cultural value of masonry construction in practice.

Register now and become part of the dialogue.

Tickets are available from €775, with concessions from €500. Information on the programme, submitting contributions and registration can be found on the official conference website: www.masonry.org.uk/11-imc/

The contact person at the Federal Association of the German Brick Industry is Dr Udo Joachim Meyer, who coordinates the association‘s partnerships and sponsorship activities.

Will we see you in Lübeck? We look forward to it.