The International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS) will organize its 38th Congress with the theme “Beyond leather tradition, innovation and sustainability”.
Founded in London in 1897, the International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists’ Societies celebrated its 100th anniversary at the end of its first century in 1997 with a Congress in London, where the first meeting was held. The last two decades have seen major changes in the location of leather production facilities and shoe manufacturing. According to the IULTCS statutes, the aims of the Association are to promote cooperation among member societies, to organize congresses for the advancement of leather science and technology, to establish commissions for special studies, and to establish international methods of sampling and testing for leather and related materials. There are currently 19 member societies and six associate members, representing around 3,000 individual members.
IULTCS 38th Congress will take place in Lyon, France between September 8-11, 2025 with the theme “Beyond leather tradition, innovation and sustainability”. Having held its last congress in 2023, IULTCS held its previous congresses in twenty different countries on five continents.
Joan Carles Castell, vice president of IULTCS, spoke about the main objectives of IULTCS and emphasized the need for sustainable practices and responsible use of resources in the leather industry. Yuzhong Li, president of the China Leather Industry Association and chairman of the Congress Organizing Committee, pointed out that the leather industry needs to address the topical issue of how to achieve industrial modernization through technological innovation and cooperation, and that faced with changing consumer preferences, especially the rapid development of synthetic materials, the global leather industry should seize the key variable of technological innovation and strengthen international cooperation.
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