Editorial

Editorial nº 76

Editorial

According to international publications, the most remarkable technological advances for 2011 include 3D cell phones, Internet-equipped cars, nurse robots and cybernetic implants.
The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two scientists, Geim and Novoselov, who iscovered
“grapheme” from graphite, which is flexible, transparent, inexpensive, and will be used in processors, tactile screens...
I cannot but feel astonished at such technological vertigo; it makes me reflect, even against my own will, on the current situation of the leather industry and its chain of value.
On the one hand, the “Leather Naturally” initiative, that is luckily gaining worldwide reach, promotes the value of leather and its versatility by educating consumers. This movement struggles to make synthetic leather substitutes
fill in their marketplace as such, without casting confusion on end products. Only leather is considered “LEATHER.”
On the other, the international leather industry is concerned with sustainability; in articular, in some countries we wonder if there will be enough raw materials in the future.
Will we also be capable of designing innovative technologies that would allow us to work with more
environmentally-friendly processes, producing the least amount of waste and effluents as possible, but still meeting the requirements of the manufacturing industries? Will we be able to reduce the carbon footprint?
The pressure of the market is strong. Leather must appear “natural,” but without natural flaws. It must overcome the most varied and aggressive tests of resistance to rubbing, staining, abrasion, etc., many of which were originally designed for materials other than leather.
Considering all these aspects that, at times, seem to get us down and make us feel like “Don Quijote”, fighting the wind mills, I believe that those who work in the leather industry must be prepared to face this challenge.
In order to surmount the inconveniencies and obstacles in the way, I believe we should bet on research and training as key factors to attain our goals.
Fostering the creativity, innovation and enthusiasm of young people who are incorporating or will incorporate into our industry is a duty that should not be circumvented by those who have been working in the leather industry for several decades now.

Lic. Patricia Casey - Presidente

Impact of the 3rd Symposium

AAQTIC’s activities are now being carried out by a newly-appointed Board of Directors, presided over by Patricia Casey, who has writen her Editorial in her role as President.
I have been invited to continue this magazine (as well as AAQTIC’s communications in general), a task I will be very pleased to undertake.
Last November the Third Symposium of the Tanning Industry was held, whereas a Fourth Symposium is already being prepared.
The Symposium held last November was different from the previous ones: no dinner was organized, but invitations were issued to institutions, companies, some of which presented their updates, and press media in the sector, which offered their publications. Along with the posters, these activities made up a supplementary space to the conference room. Other companies, especially from the chemistry sector, made their participation by sponsoring the event in one way or another. Social
activities materialized in the opening cocktail on Thursday 25th. The foregoing evidences that the Tanning Symposium has been the meeting point of the sector.
More than 150 people took part in the event, including professionals, technicians and businesspersons. It was the perfect opportunity to call several technicians from tanneries in provinces other than Buenos Aires.
In addition, it´s worth nothing that, although it was a nationwide meeting, there were colleagues from other countries as well, such as Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay and a guest lecturer from Germany.
Five works were presented orally, and 4 via poster.
There were other activities such as a Round Table on Tanning Effluents; a guest Lecture and a Monograph Contest addressed at younger technicians.
These works will be published in our magazine from this issue on.
In this way, we keep sticking to the idea that AAQTIC’s different ways of conveying knowledge (Courses, Conferences, magazine, website, Symposia, etc) give their feedback to one another.
We continue to publish works presented at the 2008 Rio Latin American about Lead in Footwear and Leather Cleaning.
Apart from the technical works, the issue on Sustainability in the interview to Mr. Tegtmeyer, a guest
lecturer at the Symposium. We continue publishing the sections on Trends, Tanning History, and Institutions: in this issue, the Leather Engineering Department of Ege University, Izmir. Turkey.
And of course, Bibliography, updates on the sector and the valuable contributions by the CITEC.

Claudio Salvador Director