"Joining and Cutting" are key procedures for the maintenance of technical underwater installations. They are indispensable for harbor construction, hydraulic engineering and flood defense, ship operation as well as offshore installations and pipelines. More than 80 experts attended the two-day Underwater Technology Convention Joining and Cutting in . On the agenda were twelve presentations dealing with current joining and cutting procedures. Possible application procedures and limits as well as quality assurance and health and safety requirements during underwater operations were discussed by the participants. Dr Peter Szelagowski, a German engineering consultant for underwater technology, explained the state of the art technology in comparison to international developments.