The International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) has launched NextGen Cooling & Heating Leaders, a mentorship programme connecting early-career refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump (RACHP) professionals with senior experts from academia and industry. The programme is intended to support knowledge transfer and career development within the sector.
The pilot cohort will consist of five mentor-mentee pairs and run for nine months, from October 2026 to August 2027. Following a virtual launch in October, participants will hold at least one 45–60 minute one-to-one session each month from November 2026 through July 2027, focusing on two or three development goals selected by each pair. A mid-term cohort meeting is planned for March 2027.
The programme will conclude with an in-person gathering at the Congress of Refrigeration in August 2027, where participants will present their experiences and outcomes and receive certificates. Pairings will be based on mentees’ career stage, interests and goals and matched with mentor profiles, with both participants confirming the match.
Participation is limited to IIR members. Mentees are early-career engineers and PhD candidates, typically with zero to five years of experience, while mentors are senior professionals from academia or industry with at least 10 to 15 years of experience. Mentors are expected to commit approximately one to two hours per month.
“These days, social media platforms allow us to connect with people very quickly. However, these connections are often very short-lived and therefore rarely provide significant value. This program is designed to counteract precisely this short-lived nature: genuine connections in a very promising industry, with valuable exchanges,” said Christian Vering, President of IIR Careers in Refrigeration Working Group.
Applications for the founding cohort of five mentees and five mentors opened in September 2026.
