Martin Ricker speaks to Yuzhong Li, Chairman of the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA), and Professor Bi Shi, Director of National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan University, co-organisers of the XXXVII IULTCS International Congress.

Can you give our readers an overview of the 2023 XXXVII IULTCS Congress?

Yuzhong Li: The 37th IULTCS Congress will be held in Chengdu, China on October 17-20, 2023. This is the second time that the IULTCS International Congress will be held in China following 2009 in Beijing. It is also the first in-person IULTCS International Congress since the Covid- 19 pandemic restrictions have been lifted.

The organisers have intentionally selected Chengdu, an international city combining history, culture and modern fashion, as the venue for the Congress. The Chinese organisers will present a high-level academic feast of leather industry technology with a warm and thoughtful service for delegates. The congress is co-organised by IULTCS and the CLIA and will be hosted at the College of Biomass Science and Engineering at Sichuan University.

What was behind the decision to hold it in Chengdu this year? Does Chengdu have a connection with the leather industry?

Yuzhong Li: Located in Western China, Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province. It is an important region of the ancient Shu civilization from 3,800 years ago and is also the centre of what we call the “Land of Abundance” as well as a research base for giant panda breeding. Chengdu is an important high-tech industrial and logistics cluster with a comprehensive transportation hub. It is global cultural city and an international gateway. The transportation system is convenient with direct flights to London, Rome, Frankfurt, Moscow, Istanbul, Melbourne, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok, Doha, Dubai, Cairo, Addis Ababa and other international cities, connecting to more than 70 international cities in total.

Chengdu has a total population of more than 20 million, with 17,400 foreign residents. Every year, hundreds of thousands of foreigners come to Chengdu for travel and business and 45 international communities have been built in the city. Among the world’s top 500 enterprises, 312 have invested in Chengdu, with a total foreign investment of RMB50.45 billion (US$7.15 billion).

Chengdu is a city closely linked with the leather industry. First of all, Sichuan University, one of the most important universities for the Chinese leather industry, is located in Chengdu and its College of Biomass Science and Engineering has established the National Engineering Research Centre of Clean Technology for the Leather Industry and the key laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering from the Ministry of Education.

Secondly, Sichuan University, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Qilu University of Technology and other universities have trained hundreds of professionals for the leather industry every year, making significant contributions to the innovative and high-quality development of China’s leather industry. Meanwhile, Chengdu is the “Women’s Shoe Capital of China”, with a total sales revenue of RMB12.8 billion (US$1.81 billion) in 2022. Chengdu is also the central city of the China Leather Chemical Production Cluster, where the leading leather chemical enterprises are of great significance in terms of scientific and technological research, product quality and market share in China.

How many delegates are you anticipating and what is your target audience? How many are you expecting from China and from abroad?

Yuzhong Li: China’s leather industry has a complete upstream and downstream industry chain, and the scientific and technological innovation of the whole industry chain. The whole industry has attached a great importance to the Congress and it is anticipated that participants will be not only the representatives of leather colleges and research institutes, but also the researchers, technicians and managers of leather tanning and processing enterprises, leather chemicals, footwear, leather products, machinery and testing enterprises as well as leather industry clusters and other related organisations. The total participants are expected to be around 300 and the foreign delegates are expected to number between 50-80.

At present, the online registration for the congress (www.iultcs2023.org) is open to both domestic and foreign industry colleagues.

What will be the main topics themes presented at the Congress?

Professor Bi Shi: We will consider seven topics at this conference around scientific research and industrial applications.:

(I) Novel strategies for high-efficiency leather processing technologies

(II) Sustainable technologies for leather manufacture

(III) Innovations in leather chemicals

(VI) Comprehensive utilisation of leather wastes

(V) Analytical and test methods for leather and leather goods

(VI) Sustainable development of leather industry

(VII) Design intelligence and productivity improvement in footwear and leather products.

Chengdu

How many papers and posters are you intending to present?

Professor Bi Shi: According to the expected numbers of participants, we plan to invite about 50 presentations and 100 posters. We will also arrange coffee break presentations and the Gala dinner for extra communications. We believe it will be not only a high-level academic feast but also provide a communication and cooperation platform for scientific research and enterprise.

If anyone is looking to submit a paper, what steps do they need to take and what is the deadline for abstract submissions?

Professor Bi Shi: The conference website (www.iultcs2023.org) is online now and we have received many high-quality abstracts. Before abstract submission, please complete the registration on the conference website, and you can submit the abstract via your personal account before June 15, 2023.

What is the significance of the theme “Innovations: To make leather irreplaceable”?

Professor Bi Shi: Leather products are widely adopted in the production of fashion, footwear, furniture, upholstery and luxury goods. The reason why leather products have been favoured by people for thousands of years is mainly due to their superior and irreplaceable performance. However, if innovation in leather products remains stagnant, leather will be replaced by new synthetic materials.

Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to reimagine leather products with a focus on research and process innovation including how to learn innovation from increasingly superior synthetic or bio-based imitation leather materials. We must concentrate on innovation in all aspects of the basic science, leather processing and work with the creative community to create highly innovative leather. In a word, only innovation can give leather more vitality and charm, and make leather irreplaceable.

What languages will the presentations be translated into?

Professor Bi Shi: The official language of this conference is English, including the abstract submission, oral presentation and posters. Most of the participants are from universities, scientific research institutions and companies and can communicate in English. In addition, this conference will also be live streamed on demand to different countries around the world.

Is there a social programme or any other side events which will form part of the XXXVII IULTCS Congress?

Professor Bi Shi: During the conference, we will organise a visit to the National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, located in Sichuan University. The National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture plays a vital role in advancing the leather industry in China and fostering the development of a more sustainable and responsible leather manufacturing sector.

Where can delegates register or find out more if they want to attend?

Professor Bi Shi: The delegates can visit the official conference website (www.iultcs2023.org) to find more information, including the conference schedule, introduction by the organisers, registration, abstract submission, hotel reservations, etc. We will update the website with more information.

The report comes from ilm