The world of tribology meets in Rio
By Steffen Bots, STLE President | TLT President's Report November 2026
At the World Tribology Congress in Brazil, STLE's artificial intelligence track drew a full room and showed what international partnership can achieve.
Some events take place every year. Others, like the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup, come around only once every four years, and that is exactly what makes them so special. For the international tribology community, the World Tribology Congress (WTC) is one of those rare events.
In September, tribologists from around the globe came together in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2026 World Tribology Congress. Dr. Peter Lee, my STLE Executive Committee colleague, had the honor of representing STLE there. And I can say without hesitation that it was an outstanding week for our society.
The scale of this year's congress was impressive. The organizers received 785 abstracts across 14 technical tracks, covering the full breadth of tribology, from fundamental research to industrial application. Among all of these tracks, STLE was the only partner organization invited to organize a dedicated track of its own.
Our track focused on one of today's most important topics: artificial intelligence (AI). We received 29 abstracts, which clearly shows how much interest there is in applying AI and machine learning (ML) to tribology and lubrication engineering. This is no coincidence. AI is also one of the four major areas examined in the 2026 STLE Report on Emerging Issues and Trends in Tribology and Lubrication Engineering, and it is quickly changing how we design experiments, analyze data and develop new materials and lubricants.
I was especially proud to hear that our AI track was mentioned during the WTC opening ceremony, and that STLE was thanked for its contribution to the congress. On behalf of STLE, I would like to return that thanks to the WTC program committee for their trust and for giving us the opportunity to partner on this track. It is a wonderful example of how international societies can work together to strengthen our profession.
The response from attendees exceeded our expectations. Based on the feedback from our session chairs, our track was, on average, one of the best-attended tracks of the entire congress. It certainly helped that our sessions were scheduled from Monday to Wednesday, when most attendees were still at the conference. But the real reason, I believe, is the topic itself and the quality of the program. In our very first session, despite strong competition from well-known speakers in parallel tracks, we had more than 100 people in the room, with some of them standing in the back.
A track of this quality does not organize itself. I would like to sincerely thank the members of our AI/ML committee who chaired the sessions and made this track such a success: Max Marian, Nick Garabedian, Eddy Tysoe and Prathima Nalam. Your commitment, time and expertise represented STLE in the best possible way on a global stage. Thank you!
Of course, after one World Tribology Congress, we are already looking ahead to the next one. And I have to admit that, for me personally, this is very exciting news: The next World Tribology Congress will take place in Germany, in Munich in 2030.
There is a well-known German football saying that fits this moment very well:
"Nach dem Spiel ist vor dem Spiel." (After the game is before the game.) The 2026 WTC has come to an end, but the conversations, collaborations and ideas that started there will continue, and the preparation for the next one has already begun.
If you would like to learn more about STLE's AI/ML committee, our activities around artificial intelligence or how you can get involved, please contact STLE or reach out to me directly. I always enjoy hearing from our members.
Steffen Bots is vice president of global sales & R&D for ADDINOL Lube Oil GmbH based in Leuna, Germany. You can reach him at Steffen.Bots@addinol.de.