The International Water Mist Association (IWMA) has been pioneering the evolution of water mist systems and education for nearly 30 years.
Contact information:
Poststraße 33 (im Hamburg Business Center)
D-20354 Hamburg
Germany
+ 49 (0) 174 301 3878
info@iwma.net
Iwma.net
The International Water Mist Association (IWMA) was founded on 15th April 1998. Back then the target was to bundle what was happening on an international level, to collect and spread knowledge and to communicate matters of common interest.
In 2001, IWMA held its first International Water Mist Conference (which since then has become an annual event). Its aim was to introduce the technology as well as the organisation to the world of firefighting. The conference has been held in London, Paris, Prague, Copenhagen and Istanbul and many other major European cities. In 2026, the only event solely dedicated to water mist will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, on 7th and 8th October.
The technology itself was invented more than a hundred years ago by F.E. Myers. But it was only after the adoption of the Montreal Protocol in the late 1980s and a devastating fire on a passenger ferry in 1990 that water mist as a means of fire protection took off. The two events paved the way and made clear that there was a need for alternatives in firefighting. And thus, water mist as a fire extinguishing agent was re-discovered which called for the establishment of an organisation.
Today, IWMA still is the only association dedicated exclusively to water mist firefighting. IWMA is based in Hamburg, Germany. From its office, it supports the continued development, research and applications engineering of generic water mist systems. IWMA president is Max Lakkonen (IFAB). Head of the office is Bettina McDowell, who has been working for the organisation since 2012.
Members of IWMA are, amongst others, manufacturers, distributors, insurance companies, scientific institutes etc. from countries all over the world.
Since 1998 IWMA and its members are committed to water mist and its further development. They have seized opportunities, amongst those was a research project sponsored and organised by the IWMA on “Scaling of Fire Suppression Characteristics in Machinery Spaces” carried out on behalf of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Nowadays IWMA holds a consultative status at the IMO.
In 2025, the organisation published their IWMA Water Mist Guide to explain the technology in detail.
In 2020, The Matrix was developed. The Matrix is based on the known facts of water mist usage in different industries: marine, commercial buildings and industry including different types of facilities in these customer groups that may require active fire protection where water mist can be solution. The Matrix is a chart showcasing all current water mist applications and associated fire test protocols that have been published by certification/test agencies
Members of the three IWMA committees (Board of Directors, Scientific Council and Marketing Group) as well as members act as representatives for the organisation in a number of expert and working groups as well as technical committees such as CEN TC 191 / WG 10, NFPA 750 and 25, VdS 3188 and IMO (International Maritime Organization).
IWMA donate the annual “Ragnar Wighus Award” for the author of the best master or Ph.D. thesis.
