It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Rome for this great event. We hope that this 15th World Conference on NDT will provide the framework for the exchange of ideas, the sharing of insights and the forging of new friendships.

    The 15th WCNDT comes 100 years after the discovery of the first NDT method, the X Ray, and this, we consider, entitles us to celebrate the anniversary of the 1st Centenary of NDT. It is a tribute to your enthusiasm and willingness as NDT people, to respond to the new needs of our ever changing world, that has made NDT Technology, the irreplaceable tool that it is today.

    Through the years, NDT has achieved the honour of being considered a discipline in itself and has earned its rightful place within the Academic world as seen from its increasing prevalence in Universities, Schools and Institutes.

    On the eve of the third Millennium, we are passing on to the next generation a new state of art of NDT, capable of meeting the demands of the new age. Our day to day work in the NDT field must always be sustained by a positive outlook and a real sense of joy from our awareness of the valuable work we do and the great contribution we make. We thank God for the possibilities we have been given!

    Dear Participants, I thank you very much for coming to Rome. I wish you all the very best during your stay here. We hope that the work and the social events fulfill your expectations. And you can rest assured in the knowledge that the efforts you have made to come to Rome, to participate in this Conference, are a tangible contribution to a better world.

    As President of AIPnD, and on behalf of the Organising Committee, I wish to extend my thanks to authors, exhibitors, accompanying persons and to all who have participated in this celebration of NDT.

G. Nardoni
ICNDT President
Rome, 15-21 October 2000