QUALICOAT UK & Ireland Charts Future at Historic Cork Meeting

The second QUALICOAT UK & Ireland council meeting of 2026 successfully took place in the Council Chamber of Cork’s City Hall.  This event marks a major milestone as the first since announcing the move to new Secretariat, the Council for Aluminium in Buildings.  With many members making the trip from the United Kingdom to Cork, and others joining online, there was a particularly high turnout.

Civic welcome to Cork

The council meeting was preceded by a welcome dinner held the previous evening at the Imperial Hotel and hosted by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, plus an exclusive tour of the Lord Mayor’s Chamber – one of the finest examples of Classical architecture in Ireland and where delegates were invited to sign the distinguished visitors book. 

Commenting on the experience, Chair of QUALICOAT UK & Ireland, Chris Mansfield, said:

“Fergal was an amazing host and his behind the scenes tour was fascinating.  It was a great honour for Jan (Lukaszewski) and I to sign the visitors’ book, sharing the same pages as historical icons like Queen Elizabeth II, President John F. Kennedy and Princess Grace of Monaco.”

Opening speech from the Lord Mayor

In a warm and engaging speech, the Lord Mayor welcomed attendees to the council meeting: 

“… as a centre for innovation and advanced manufacturing (Qualcomm and Apple both operate from Cork and the city will soon be home to Ireland’s tallest building), we understand the importance of organisations like QUALICOAT in driving and promoting standards and supporting industries that shape the future of our built environment.

“We’re especially proud to welcome delegates from the UK and from all over Ireland […].  Your presence here reflects the importance of collaboration, shared experience and the strong international relationships we have here.  Values that are very much at the heart of Cork and our identity as an outward looking city.”

Strategic direction and insights

A major focus of the meeting was the global progression toward QUALICOAT 3.0, an initiative aimed at eliminating field failures by expanding licensing and auditing standards directly to aluminium extruders.  Pilot auditing is already underway across three designated plants worldwide to ensure that raw materials meet stricter criteria before reaching the coating stage.  In addition, the Technical Committee highlighted ongoing global work regarding the regulation of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ and gathering data to optimise pre-anodising standards for aluminium sheets and panels.

On the legislative front, the organisation is actively collating member feedback to drive a comprehensive revision of BS EN 12206.  Operationally, QUALICOAT UK & Ireland celebrated strong growth with two new licences finalised and four more in progress.  Members also received an exclusive overview of QCT 360, a single, bespoke digital certification platform built to replace a fragmented  tracking system for coaters, powder suppliers and pre-treatment suppliers. 

Technical excellence

To make the most of the expertise of visitors like independent inspector, Oliver Bögler and Jim Regan from Q-Lab Europe, Ltd.,  QUALICOAT UK & Ireland held an additional technician training event on 19th May hosted by Architectural & Metal Systems (AMS) in Wallingstown, Co. Cork.  This provided a vital local opportunity for Irish members to maintain the prestigious quality label.

Gratitude and appreciation for Irish hosts

During the meeting QUALICOAT UK & Ireland extended its gratitude to the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy and the City Hall team for their support and hospitality, and to Pat O’Hara Managing Director of AMS – a long-established QUALICOAT-certified applicator, for suggesting that the meeting be held in Cork and at City Hall. 

Reflecting on the success of the event, Chris concludes:

“The whole experience has felt like a coming of age for QUALICOAT UK & Ireland – it’s a visit that we will all remember, and we look forward to whenever we might return to Cork.”

Members met for the second QUALICOAT UK & Ireland meeting of 2026 held in the Council Chamber of Cork’s City Hall