As intimated through earlier issues of JILTA, ILTA is at its 60th year of glorious journey in this year. To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee year, the Executive Committee Members met on several occasions and have prepared the outlines of a year long programme based on present day need of the industry.

There will be five segments of the year long celebration programme

1. Inauguration at Science City auditorium on the 60th Foundation Day – 14th August
2010 with Prof. B M Das Memorial Lecture and National Seminar on “Pollution Abatement and Cleaner Technology”

2. 8th Asia International Conference on
Leather Science and Technology : 12th, 13th & 14th November, 2010
Theme: “Leather 2020 : Challenges and Opportunities”

3. Sanjoy Sen Memorial Lecture and National
Seminar : 14th January 2011
Subject: “Water and Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction”

4. Y Nayudamma Memorial Lecture and
National Seminar : 10th April 2011
Subject: “Banned Chemicals – Origin and Management”

5. National Seminar & Valedictory : 13th August 2011
programme
Subject: “Standardization, Designing and Marketability of Leather Goods & Footwear”

Topics/subjects selected for the seminars are such that they are expected to update and create awareness among the members and tanners for application of Green Technology, Upgrading Pollution Control Measures, HRD, Value addition, Standardization and Image Building.

Registration forms are available at ILTA office.
They can also be downloaded from our website: www.iltaonleather.com

IUR COMMISSION ISSUES ITS 1ST IULTCS CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL FOR A RESEARCH PROJECT

IULTCS, 10 May 2010: At the recent meeting of the IULTCS Executive in Hong Kong, the first IULTCS Certificate of Approval for a research proposal was granted. The IUR under Chair Dr. Dietrich Tegtmeyer accepted a proposal from Prof. Walter Wen-Chien Kuo of the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan for a project entitled “Tannery wastewater treatment and reuse using horizontal bio-filter and constructed wetland.” This certification process, now in place, has the goal of supporting global R&D efforts for sustainable leather manufacturing.

The IULTCS Research Commission (IUR) was established under President Marc Folachier to help focus global research on the needs of the industry. Under the recent leadership of Dr. Tegtmeyer and with the help of President Elton Hurlow, the IUR established criteria for research platforms and a process by which projects that comply with these criteria become candidates for the IUR Certificate of Approval. The IUR will not sponsor specific R&D activities, but approved projects should fulfil criteria for public funding and make it easier for individuals to apply for specific grants. The process will also serve as a networking platform for individual researchers and innovators to make it easier to find the right contacts for discussion and collaboration around the world.

The aim of the first project submitted by Prof. Kuo and approved by the IUR is to help the Taiwan tanning industry meet local effluent standards by looking at reduction, recycle and re-use of wastewater by Water Cascade Analysis, and with an emphasis on reducing chemical additions, sludge production, and cost. The IUR Commission felt that the principles employed were of global interest for the leather industry and gave their support to the project. It is anticipated that certification from a legitimate body such as the IUR will improve regional funding opportunities for individual researchers, and also facilitate global communication and provide networking opportunities for scientists working on leather industry projects.

There is a need for new ideas and technologies for the industry to maintain a competitive leather profile in a modern, competitive, and fast changing consumer world. The IUR will support worldwide R&D activities with the goal of improving best practice manufacturing technologies from an aesthetical, ecological, and economical point of view. “With this new certification process we hope to support as many R&D facilities as possible around the world to get funds for innovative R&D project ideas inline with the IULTCS guidelines. With the official support from IULTCS hopefully the importance and the need of the project could be made more clear, which should lead to higher prioritization in the authorization process”, Dr. Dietrich Tegtmeyer said.