4 March 2025
Celebrating Young Talent in Leather Science: Announcing the Winners of the 2025 IULTCS Research Grants!
The IULTCS Executive Committee is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 IUR Research Grants, awarded to two exceptional young scientists under the age of 35. These grants are designed to support innovative research that advances the leather sector.
Meet the Winners:
Basic Leather Research Grant 2025
Mr. Zoheb Akhter from LASRA, New Zealand.
Project: “Alkaline Hydrolysis of Zeolite and Chrome Shavings: Investigating the Fate of Their Hydrolysate and Undigested Materials.”
Objective: To provide insights into the purity of hydrolysates and understand the impact of tanning agents like chrome and zeolites on the hydrolysis process.
Professor Mike Redwood Sustainability/Environmental Grant 2025
Dr. Yudan Yi from Jiaxing University, China.
Project: “A Cationic Amphiphilic Acrylic Copolymer for Metal-Free Eco-Leather Production: Integration of Retanning and Fatliquoring.”
Objective: To develop a dual-function copolymer that promotes high-performance, eco-friendly, metal-free leather production while saving chemicals, reducing wastewater discharge, and shortening processing times.
Although the Leather Machinery/Equipment Grant will not be awarded this year, we remain inspired by the talent and innovation showcased by all participants.
A special thank you to our sponsors Tyson Leather (Basic Leather Research) and Leather Naturally (Sustainability/Environmental), as well as the reviewers and the IULTCS Research Commission (IUR) led by Dr. Volker Rabe.
We look forward to the valuable insights these projects will bring to the industry and wish the winners continued success in advancing leather science.
We bring leather, material and fashion businesses together: an opportunity to meet and greet face to face. We bring them from all parts of the world so that they can find fresh partners, discover new customers or suppliers and keep ahead of industry developments.
We organise a number of trade exhibitions which focus on fashion and lifestyle: sectors that are constantly in flux, so visitors and exhibitors alike need to be constantly aware both of the changes around them and those forecast for coming seasons.
