Incheon has secured the 29th Congress and General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography, bringing one of the world’s leading structural-science gatherings to South Korea for the first time.
Known as IUCr 2032, the triennial congress is expected to attract around 3,000 researchers and specialists from more than 60 countries. It will take place at Songdo ConvensiA in August 2032.
Often described as the “Olympics of Crystallography,” the congress connects researchers working across materials science, chemistry, physics, biology and medicine. Crystallography reveals the atomic and molecular structures of materials, making it essential to fields including semiconductor and battery development, pharmaceuticals and nanotechnology.
Incheon was selected following an international contest involving Cape Town, Shanghai and Mumbai. Its winning case combined the accessibility of Incheon International Airport, the convention infrastructure surrounding Songdo ConvensiA and the scientific relevance of the Songdo bio cluster, home to a growing concentration of biotechnology companies and research activities.
The successful bid was developed through cooperation between the Korean Crystallographic Association, Incheon Metropolitan City, Incheon MICE Bureau and the Korea Tourism Organization.
The congress gives Incheon an opportunity to connect global structural-science expertise with industries already central to the city’s economic development.