The annual conference on Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods (BEM/MRM) started in 1978 and is now in its 40th version. It is well established as the recognised international forum for the latest advances in those techniques and their application in science and engineering.

The continued success of the meeting is a result of the strength of the research on boundary elements and mesh reduction techniques being carried out all over the world. The conference has continually evolved in line with the latest developments in the field since the successful development of boundary integral techniques into BEM was reported in the first meeting held in Southampton in 1978.

The objective of the research papers presented at the meetings is the further development of techniques that reduce or eliminate the type of meshes required by first generation computational methods, such as finite differences or finite elements. This has steadily been achieved through the development of BEM as a computational tool and continues through more recent research into advanced techniques, leading to further mesh reduction aiming to produce truly meshless methods.

The meeting also encourages the presentation of papers on the use of BEM and, in particular, the description of new applications. Problems related to interface with other techniques, processes such as finite elements, the solution of large systems of equations and the direct coupling of BEM to design and manufacturing are also welcome.