WFI 2026 Annual Virtual Conference
Future of Filtration: Why Filtration Matters
AI • Data Centers • Energy • Healthcare • Sustainability • Manufacturing
December 8–9, 2026 | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Welcome from WFI 2026 Chairs
On behalf of the WFI 2026 organizing committee and all the distinguished speakers, we invite you to join us at the World Filtration Institute 2026 Annual Conference (WFI 2026), December 8–9, 2026, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST. The theme of this year’s conference is “Future of Filtration: Why Filtration Matters.” Our distinguished international experts will explore the latest advances, emerging opportunities, and strategic importance of filtration and separation technologies across data centers, healthcare, energy systems, sustainability, advanced materials, digitalization, and next-generation industrial applications.
As the world rapidly evolves through artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, energy diversification, and sustainability initiatives, filtration has become more important than ever. Filtration is no longer viewed simply as a supporting technology — it is a critical enabler of reliability, efficiency, contamination control, equipment protection, human health, sustainability, and innovation across countless industries.
The virtual conference will feature the following six sessions:
-
Data Center Cooling and Advanced Filtration
-
Biopharmaceutical and Life Science Filtration
-
Filtration Advances in the Energy Sector
-
Sustainable Filtration and Circular Economy
-
Filter Media Innovation and Future Technologies
-
AI, Digitalization, and Smart Filtration
WFI 2026 brings together global experts, industry leaders, researchers, innovators, and students to share insights, technologies, and strategies shaping the future of filtration and separation. Whether your focus is energy, AI infrastructure, healthcare, manufacturing, sustainability, clean air, water, or advanced materials, this event will provide a unique global platform to learn, connect, collaborate, and inspire innovation.
We believe the future of filtration will increasingly depend on interdisciplinary collaboration, global partnerships, and innovative technologies that address some of the world’s most important industrial, environmental, and societal challenges. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to engage with the forefront of filtration innovation and discover why filtration matters more than ever before.
We look forward to welcoming and seeing you online at WFI 2026!
Sincerely,
WFI 2025 Chairs
Dr. Christine Sun
President
WFI, US
Mr. Greg Hoverson
VP & CTO
Atmus, US
Mr. Richard Lydon
Secretary-General,
Filtration Society, UK
Mr. Tyler Smith
Vice President
Johnson Control, US
Conference Secretary: Ms. Camilla Gomes
Contact: admin@wfius.com
Organizing Committee
Dr. Christine Sun
President
WFI, US
Mr. Mike Clark
President, Filtration Division, H&V, US
Dr. Stephanie Taylor, MD
Medical Advisor
ThinkLite Air, US
Dr. John McKeon
CEO
iAIR Group, IE
Greg Hoverson
Vice President and CTO
Atmus, US
Dr. Martin Lehmann
Principal Expert
Mann + Hummel, DE
Dr. Bryan Haynes
Sr. Technical Director, Kimberly- Clark, US
Dr. Swarna Agarwal
Sr. Scientist
PTI Technologies, US
Mr. Richard Lydon
Secretary-General,
The Filtration Society, UK
Dr. Wu Chen
Chair, AFS Education Committee, US
Mr. Paul Marold
CEO
Aeristus, Inc., US
Dr. Yun Liang
Secretary-General, China Filtration Society, CN
Mr. Tyler Smith
Vice President,
Johnson Controls, US
Mr. Tobias Zimmer
Sr. Vice President
Camfil, DE
Mr. Nick Agopian
President
Reviveaire, US
Dr. Gajanan Bhat
Chair Prof. & Dept. Head, UGA, US
Schedule at a Glance
Data Center Cooling and Advanced Filtration
Chaired by Tyler Smith
December 8, 2026
8:10 AM to 9:20 AM EST
Sustainable Filtration and Circular Economy
Chaired by Richard Lydon
December 9, 2026
8:10 AM to 9:20 AM EST
Biopharmaceutical and Life Science Filtration
Chaired by Wu Chen
December 8, 2026
9:25 AM to 10:35 AM EST
Filter Media Innovation and Future Technologies
Chaired by Mike Clark
December 9, 2026
9:25 AM to 10:35 AM EST
Filtration Advances in the Energy Sector
by Martin Lehmann
December 8, 2026
10:40 AM to 11:50 PM EST
AI, Digitalization, and Smart Filtration
Chaired by Greg Hoverson
December 9, 2026
10:40 AM to 11:50 AM EST
Speakers (to be updated)
Mr. Greg Hoverson
Vice President and CTO
Atmus, US
Dr. Marc Schmidt
Vice President
AAF International, DE
Dr. Thomas Caesar
Vice President
Freudenberg, DE
Dr. John Ryan
CEO
iAIR Labs, IE
Dr. Jenny Berens
Chair
ASHRAE 52.2, US
Mr. Scott Yeager
President
FAST, US
Mr. Matt Ferguson
Global Product Manager FleetguardFIT, US
Mr. Philippe Wijns
Founder
CleverSustainability, DE
Mr. Jeff Thibodeau
Vice President
Mikropor America, US
Mr. Paul Marold
CEO
Aeristus, Inc., US
Mr. James Manser
Vice President
Johnson Controls, US
Mr. Tobias Zimmer
Sr. Vice President
Camfil, DE
Dr. Joan Gao
Founder & CEO
NFT Purification Tech., US
Mr. Paul Gagliardo
Founder and Host
The Water Entrepreneur, US
Mr. Tony Abate
Vice President and CTO
AtmosAir, US
Ms. Kathleen Owen
ASHRAE Fellow
Air Filter Expert, US
Dr. Yasmine Skanji
Director
ZAACK, FR
Mr. Jon Douglas
Director - Healthy Buildings
Johnson Controls, US
Dr. Joshua Manasco
Director
Elmarco, CZ
Mr. Nick Agopian
President
Reviveaire, US
Dr. Iyad Al-Attar
Strategic Director
WFI, CA
Mr. Martin Klein
Sr. Vice President
MANN+HUMMEL, DE
Mr. Wes Fisher
Director, Government Affairs, INDA, US
Ms. Ashley Jameson
President
PureAir Filtration, US
Dr. Thomas Peters
Sr. Director, Dr. Peters Consulting, DE
Dr. Michael Chen
President
Midwest Filtration, US
Dr. Ashley Scott
Founder & CTO
NanoMeld, US
Dr. Swarna Agarwal
Sr. Scientist, PTI Technologies, US
Mr. Tyler Smith
Vice President,
Johnson Controls, US
Mr. Richard Lydon
Secretary-General,
The Filtration Society, UK
Dr. Andreas Wiegmann
CEO
Math2Market, DE
Dr. Stephanie Taylor
Medical Advisor
ThinkLite Air, US
Dr. Jatin Khanpara
Sr. Vice President
AprilAire, US
Mr. Bruce Lorange
Director
H&V, US
Dr. Cédric Vallet
Business Development
Ahlstrom, FR
Dr. Sneha Swaminathan
Sr. Director
H&V, US
Dr. Samuel Li
Vice President
Freudenberg Filtration, CN
Dr. Mehdi Shirmohammadi
Director, Termeh Filtration, UAE
Mr. Mike Clark
President, Filtration Division, H&V, US
Dr. John McKeon
CEO
iAIR Group, IE
WFI 2025 Program (to be updated)
Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 8:00AM–12:00PM ET
8:00–8:10 Welcome Introduction
8:10–9:20 Session 1: Filtration Innovations for Resilient & Healthy Buildings
Chaired by Mr. Tyler A. Smith, Vice President, Global Lifecycle Solutions, Johnson Controls, US
8:10–8:25 1.1. From Pollution to Prosperity: Integrating Filtration into Sustainable Urban Design
Presented by Dr. Iyad Al-Attar, Strategic Director, WFI, CA, & Visiting Academic Fellow, Cranfield Univ., UK
8:25–8:40 1.2. Odor Control and Fragrance enhancement in Residential Buildings and Occupied Spaces
Presented by Dr. Thomas Caesar, Vice President, Freudenberg, DE
8:40–8:55 1.3. Filter industry Megatrends and Rising Demands for Healthy Buildings
Presented by Dr. Marc Schmidt, Vice President, AAF International, DE
8:55–9:20 Round Table Panel Discussion
Panelists: Dr. Stephanie Taylor, MD, Medical Advisor, ThinkLite Air, US
Ms. Kathleen Owen, ASHRAE Fellow, Air Filter Expert, US
Mr. Jon Douglas, Director, Healthy Building, Johnson Control, US
9:20–9:25 Coffee break
9:25–10:35 Session 2: New Technologies for Sustainable Filtration
Chaired by Mr. Mike Clark, President, Filtration Division, H&V, US
9:25–9:40 2.1. Outlook of Nanofiber Technologies for Filtration
Presented by Dr. Joan Gao, CEO, NFT Purification Technologies, US
9:40–9:55 2.2. Next-Generation Wetlaid: Shaping the Future of Filtration
Presented by Dr. Cédric Vallet, Head of Business Development & Product Management, Ahlstrom, FR
9:55–10:10 2.3. Data, Design, Decarbonize: Transforming Filtration for a Sustainable Tomorrow
Presented by Mr. Martin Klein, Sr. Vice President, Engineering Filter Elements & Filtration Materials, MANN+HUMMEL, DE
10:10–10:35 Round Table Panel Discussion
Panelists: Dr. Michael Chen, President, Midwest Filtration, US
Dr. Sneha Swaminathan, Sr. Director, H&V, US
Dr. Ashley Scott, Founder & CTO, NanoMeld, US
10:35–10:40 Coffee break
10:40–11:50 Session 3: Filtration Advances for Emerging Technologies
Chaired by Mr. Nick Agopian, President, Reviveaire LLC, US
10:40–10:55 3.1. Data Center Filtration: The Hidden Lever for Lower Energy Costs
Presented by Mr. Bruce Lorange, Global Director, Corporate Marketing & Communications, H&V, US
10:55–11:10 3.2. Plugging into Efficiency – Can Electronic Technologies Improve Filter Efficiency?
Presented by Mr. Tony Abate, VP and CTO, AtmosAir, US
11:10–11:25 3.3. Filtration Intelligence: MEMS Sensors in Modular Air Systems
Presented by Ms. Ashley Jameson, President, PureAir Filtration, US
11:25–11:50 Round Table Panel Discussion
Panelists: Dr. Swarna Agarwal, Sr. Scientist, PTI Technologies, US
Dr. Joshua Manasco, Director of Business and Application Development, Elmarco, CZ
Dr. Mehdi Shirmohammadi, R&D Director, Termeh, Dubai, AE
11:50–12:00 2025 Product of the Year Award Ceremony
Presented by Mr. Mike Malloy, Communications Director, WFI, US
Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 8:00AM–12:00PM ET
8:00–8:10 Welcome Introduction
8:10–9:20 Session 4: Circular Economy and Sustainable Filtration
Chaired by Mr. Richard Lydon, Secretary-General, The Filtration Society, UK
8:10–8:25 4.1. Membrane Filtration Evolution - From Formulation to Application to Form-Factor
Presented by Mr. Paul Gagliardo, MPH, P.E., Founder and Host of The Water Entrepreneur podcast, US
8:25–8:40 4.2. Selected Aspects of Circular Economy and Filtration
Presented by Dr. Thomas Peters, Sr. Director, Dr-Ing. Peters Consulting, DE
8:40–8:55 4.3. New EN Standard and Its Impact on Development of More Sustainable Filtration Solutions
Presented by Mr. Tobias Zimmer, Sr. Vice President, Camfil AB, DE
8:55–9:20 Round Table Panel Discussion
Panelists: Dr. Jenny Beren, ASHRAE 52.2 Chair, US
Mr. Scott Yeager, President/CEO, FAST, US
Mr. Philippe Wijns, Founder, CleverSustainability, DE
9:20–9:25 Coffee break
9:25–10:35 Session 5: Regulations, Tariffs, and Resilient Global Operations
Chaired by Mr. Paul Marold, CEO, Aeristus, Inc., US
9:25–9:40 5.1. How Tariffs and Trade are Reshaping the Global Economic Ecosystem
Presented by Mr. James Manser, Vice President, Global Government Relations, Johnson Controls, US
9:40–9:55 5.2. Tariffs and Trade in the Trump 2.0 Era: Implications for Global Filtration Supply Chains
Presented by Mr. Wes Fisher, Director, Government Affairs, INDA, US
9:55–10:10 5.3. Engineering & Technology in the Filtration Industry for a Dynamic Global Landscape
Presented by Mr. Greg Hoverson, Vice President & CTO, Atmus, US
10:10–10:35 Round Table Panel Discussion
Panelists: Dr. Samual Li, Vice President, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, CN
Mr. Jeff Thibodeau, Vice President, Mikropor America Inc., US
10:35–10:40 Coffee break
10:40–11:50 Session 6: Smart Filtration: Sensors, Data, and AI Innovations
Chaired by Dr. John McKeon, CEO, iAIR Group, IE
10:40–10:55 6.1. Consumer Centered Indoor Air Quality Intelligent system
Presented by Dr. Jatin Khanpara, Sr. Vice President, Engineering & Technology, AprilAire. US
10:55–11:10 6.2. From Petri Dish to Prediction: AI-Driven Aerobiology for Smarter Filtration
Presented by Dr. John Ryan, CEO, iAIR Labs, IE
11:10–11:25 6.3. Smarter Filtration Design through Digital Modeling and AI
Presented by Dr. Andreas Wiegmann, CEO, Math2Market, DE
11:25–11:50 Round Table Panel Discussion
Panelists: Mr. Matt Ferguson, Global Product Manager FleetguardFIT, Atmus, US
Dr. Yasmine SKANJI, Director at ZAACK, IGIENAIR Group, FR
11:50–12:00 CFSS 2025 Class Graduation Ceremony
Presented by Dr. Christine Sun, President, WFI, US
WFI 2025 Highlight Recap
About Us
The World Filtration Institute (WFI) is a global non-profit organization dedicated to propelling the filtration and separation industry towards a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future. Through our comprehensive education programs and robust industry support, we equip individuals with the knowledge, creativity, and skills to drive innovation and excellence. We offer a broad spectrum of resources, from cutting-edge research on filtration technologies to professional certification and networking opportunities. At WFI, we're bridging the gap between academia and industry to advance filtration and separation processes worldwide. Join us in our mission to create a better world through innovative filtration solutions.
