Olores.org Newsletter May 2026

   The International Water Association (IWA) has officially opened the call for abstracts for the 11th IWA Conference on Odours and Air Emissions 2026, which will take place from 2 to 5 November 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Based on the success of previous conferences held in Sydney, Singapore, Barcelona, Paris, Warsaw, Hangzhou, Bilbao, and Hobart, this new edition marks a significant milestone as Malaysia hosts the global odour community for the first time.

   The call for abstracts opened yesterday and will remain open until 6 July 2026. If you are interested in participating in this global and well-known conference, we encourage you to prepare and submit your abstract through the official website.

   ISOEN 2026 was held from May 17 to 20, 2026, in Chongqing. This international conference is one of the main scientific forums dedicated to research and technological development in the fields of artificial olfaction, gas sensing systems, electronic noses, and electronic tongues. The event brought together researchers, industry representatives, and academic institutions working on sensor technologies, signal processing, pattern recognition, and analytical instrumentation for chemical sensing applications.

   The conference program included a wide range of scientific and technical activities, such as specialized tutorials, oral technical sessions, poster presentations, and technology-oriented competitions.

   The 10^th International Conference on Environmental Monitoring of Odours and VOCs (NOSE2026), organized once again by AIDIC, will include a practical industrial workshop titled “Odour & Industry: from concepts to practice” to be held on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 8, in Bologna, Italy.

   The workshop, scheduled from 14:00 to 18:00 at the conference venue, is aimed at industry professionals, consultants, and regulators who want to translate scientific concepts and measurement methodologies into operational and management solutions for plants and urban environments. This workshop is free for NOSE2026 participants.

   The 2026 Odor Conference in Bloomington, Minnesota, brought together a lively community of practitioners, researchers, and industry partners for a week of focused technical sessions, practical case studies, and productive networking. Over 160 attendees enjoyed wonderful weather while exploring advances in odor science, monitoring, modeling, policy, and control.

   The opening keynote was delivered by Susan Schiffman, Adjunct Professor in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina/North Carolina State University (UNC/NCSU). Susan has published at least 185 papers on the topic. Her earliest odor-related publication is likely this one from 1974 ("Physicochemical Correlates of Olfactory Quality" in Science), meaning she has been working in the field for over 52 years.

   Two major odour and chemical sensing societies — the Japan Association on Odour Environment (JAOE / におい・かおり環境協会) and the International Society for Olfaction and Chemical Sensing (ISOCS) — have recently updated their leadership. JAOE refreshed its board as of 23 May, while ISOCS elected a new Executive Board as of 20 May at ISOEN 2026 in Chongqing, China, marking a transition in governance for both organisations.

   These updates affect not only the officers themselves but also how each society will coordinate research, training, industry collaboration and international activities in the coming years. Below are the key details on the new leadership, their roles and the institutions involved. Read on to see the full list of officers and what this means for the community.