History of the COPINAVALES

The Pan-American Congress of Naval Engineering (COPINAVAL) began in 1966 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with its first edition. This foundational event brought together more than 400 participants from countries in the Americas and other continents, and marked a significant milestone with the approval, during the congress, of the creation of the Pan-American Institute of Naval Engineering (IPIN) as a technical and professional integration body for the naval sector in the Americas.

From its inception, COPINAVAL was conceived as a forum for regular meetings of naval engineers, technicians, academics, authorities, and representatives of the maritime industry, with the aim of promoting the exchange of knowledge, the presentation of technical papers, and the strengthening of regional cooperation. Over the years, the congress adopted a rotating format, taking place in different countries across the Americas and consolidating its Pan-American scope.

During its first decades, COPINAVAL was held in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, the United States, and Uruguay, with increasing participation in both the number of attendees and the quantity and quality of the technical papers presented. These initial editions incorporated highly relevant complementary activities, such as Marinexpo, a maritime industry exhibition that accompanied numerous congresses, strengthening the link between engineering, industry, and naval services.

Beginning in the 1980s, COPINAVAL expanded its academic structure by creating specialized symposia, most notably the Pan-American Symposium on Naval Engineering Education (SYMMEDUC) and the Symposium on Military Ship Construction (SYMMISSEL). These forums fostered deeper technical, academic, and strategic debate in key areas of naval and maritime development, solidifying the congress as a leading regional forum.

In the following decades, COPINAVAL continued its sustained growth, achieving greater geographic and thematic diversity. The editions held between 1990 and 2010 reflected broad participation from delegations from the Americas and Europe, with hundreds of attendees and a significant number of technical presentations, keynote addresses, and institutional activities. On several occasions, the opening ceremonies were attended by high-level government officials, demonstrating the event's institutional recognition.

COPINAVAL also served as the venue for strategic decisions for IPIN Americas, such as the selection of future venues, tributes to former presidents and historical figures, and significant administrative changes, including the relocation of the Institute's Secretariat. These events reinforced the institutional character of the congress as a fundamental body for coordination and governance of IPIN.

In its most recent editions, COPINAVAL has maintained its structure of technical congress, specialized symposia, and maritime exhibition, adapting its content to the contemporary challenges of naval engineering, the maritime industry, sustainability, technological innovation, and professional development. The event's continuity over several decades demonstrates IPIN Americas' ongoing commitment to the development and integration of the naval sector in the Americas.

Overall, the history of COPINAVALES reflects a solid and sustained trajectory, which has allowed the consolidation of a Pan-American space of reference for naval and maritime engineering, strengthening the ties between countries, institutions and professionals, and contributing significantly to the technical and academic advancement of the sector.