The European Forum for Reciprocating Compressors (EFRC) was founded in June 1999 as a non-profit association. It supports users, manufacturers and scientists working in the field of reciprocating compressors in terms of technology, exchange of experience, formation and enforcement of pre-competitive research, standards and guidelines, training and student exchange. Since then its geographical reach has grown from Central Europe to entire Europe and recently to the US and Asia. The small crowd of 8 initial members has grown to 42 in 2018. The initiative was to build a vivid forum incorporating the principles of conferences as well as of an institution promoting the interest of compressor users and compressor industry.