As already anticipated within the previous issue, PRO LIGNO Journal is honoured to present in the summer issue 2010, a special edition dedicated to a major event of the international scientific community in the wood sector, namely the 11th edition of the International IUFRO Wood Drying Conference, which took place in January 2010, in Skelleftea (Sweden) and hosted by the Technical University in Lulea.
           The International IUFRO Wood Drying Conference started in 1987, as result of a discussion between two persons dedicated to wood drying research, Tom Moren and Howard Rosen. They decided by then to start a separate wood drying working party within IUFRO-Division 5 - because wood drying was developing fast at that time and to initiate a Wood Drying Conference, as organised frame for periodical meetings of the specialists in the field, to exchange ideas and best practice.
           The first edition was organised in Sweden, in Skelleftea, the place where it returned after 23 years. Five researchers, among whom the main organisers of this year edition as well, Tom Moren Lena Antti and Margot Sehlstedt-Persson, participated at both events. One more name has to be evidentiated, that of Jarl-Gunnar Salin, who is the only participant in all 11 editions until now, unfolded in locations all over the world: Skelleftea-Sweden (1987), Seattle-USA (1989), Vienna-Austria (1992), Rotorua-New Zealand (1994), Quebec-Canada (1996), Stellenbosch-South Africa (1999), Tsukuba-Japan (2001), Brasov-Romania (2003), Nanjing-China (2005), Orono, Maine-USA (2007) and, again Skelleftea (2010). In all this time, under the coordination of Howard Rosen (USA), Yves Fortin (Canada), Patrick Perre (France) and Michael Milota (USA), the wood drying party became one of the most active working groups within IUFRO and the conference became a tradition, a "must" event, with increasing number of attenders. Each two years, the traditional members experience the joy of meeting again, but also the satisfaction to see more and more students and young researchers attracted by this forum of excellency in research within a restrained but economically very important engineering field - that of timber drying.
           Romania entered this circuit of excellency starting with 1996. The TRANSILVANIA University - Faculty of Wood Industry in Brasov was permanently represented in all editions since then and also had the honour of hosting in 2003 the 8th edition of this prestigeous event. All of this would not have been possible without the devoted support of the wood-processing companies, whom we address sincerest gratitude. This special PRO LIGNO edition is dedicated to them.

Mihaela CAMPEAN
Editor