Innovation, Heritage, and a Global Meeting of Minds: Recap of the 128th SLTC Conference
The 128th SLTC International Conference recently took place in the stunning setting of Glasgow, marking one of the most successful and well-attended gatherings in the Society’s recent history. Under the new presidency of Deborah Taylor, the event brought together a cosmopolitan character of experts to bridge the gap between 19th-century craftsmanship and 21st-century technology.
The Highlights:
Setting the tone: Our conference on Saturday started with a powerful opening address from our President, Deborah Taylor, that set the tone for the conference to come. This was followed by the Procter Memorial Lecture delivered by Dr Dietrich Tegtmeyer. His impactful keynote presentation explored the concept of treating our industry not just as leather makers but as up-cyclers of collagen, with a lens on finding utilisation purposes of leather that go beyond the norms of traditional uses such as footwear and leathergoods.
Technical excellence:
The technical programme set a high bar for the year ahead, looking at some of the industry’s most pressing “hard truths,” including:
- Chemical Compliance: Prof. Will Wise provided a critical briefing on the limitations of current PFAS screening and its implications for global supply chains.
- Circular Solutions: Dr. Anke Mondschein and Tanvi Maniyanghat shared groundbreaking research on valorizing hair waste and bio-based retanning.
- Precision Science: Gustavo Adrián Defeo challenged our perceptions of colour physics, questioning the modern validity of D65 lighting standards.
- Cutting Edge finishing: Georges Fonesca delivered insights on high-performance upgrading solutions for leather finishing
Sustainability in Practice
The conference also highlighted how these technical advancements translate into brand success.
- Rosie Wollacott shared the inspiring journey of Mulberry’s “Made to Last” manifesto and their path to B Corp certification.
- Adeel Younas of WWF-Pakistan showcased Pakistan’s first digital leather traceability system piloted in an SME context.
The presentations concluded with an overview of a vital project update from Karl Flowers regarding the Leather Conservation Centre and how our Society is supporting the knowledge gathering and sharing that will support future generations of leather conservation and understanding.
Axel Landmann Award
This year’s Axel Landmann Certificate was awarded to Dr Christine Anscombe. Christine is a Past President and current Council Member of the Society, and she has spent her entire career working in the leather industry across a wide range of remits.
She originally studied at the University of Northampton to become a qualified leather technologist, leading to her first position as works director of a UK garment leather tannery, Carr Tanning. Following this, Christine moved to Australia to manufacture kangaroo leather for footwear and accessories at Packer Tanning.
On returning to the UK she spent 11 years at BLC as their innovation and training manager before taking the plunge to co-found Leather Wise, a leather problem solving and training consultancy.
From 2009 to 2025, Christine worked at SATRA, most recently as Assistant Director Commercial, before returning to Leather Wise where she currently supports the industry through leather problem solving and training.
In addition to the ‘day job’ Christine has been the external verifier for leather for the Scottish Qualifications Authority and is currently chair of the British Standards Institute Committee for Leather and Footwear. Other industry related positions include representing SLTC on the Executive Committee of the International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists (IULTCS), where she currently sits as Chair of the Training and Education Commission (IUT).
In 2016 she was privileged to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Northampton. She is also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Curriers.
The Society is delighted to recognise all Christine’s contributions on behalf of and in support of the leather industry by awarding her the Axel Landmann Certificate for 2026.
Professional Grades
Entertainment and celebration
It wasn’t all technical papers and presentations. For those delegates who arrive on the Friday afternoon, the weekend began with a tour of the Clydeside Whisky Distillery.
We enjoyed a guided tour of the facility with a look at how the single malt whisky is made, and that was followed by a tasting session of 3 wee drams!
Everyone who attended received their whiskey glass to take home and a very handy discount to spend in the distillery shop!
Following the conference on the Saturday, as the sun set over Glasgow, delegates moved to The Exchange for the Annual Dinner Dance. This year the evening was a vibrant celebration of fellowship, and we took time to thank some of attendees with Appreciation Awards, including Kris MacDonald, Monika Kapuscik and Samuel Taylor for all their hard work in the run up to the event. We also gave an award to Stephen Hems for piping us into dinner (even though a hand injury meant he couldn’t actually pipe us in this year! We have fond memories of last year and look forward to hearing the bagpipes again in 2027!)
We also took the opportunity to say a special thank you to our outgoing Vice-President, Prof Will Wise, who was given a special engraved glass award to recognise his service to the Society over the last 8 years. Will handed the baton over to our new Vice-President, David Miller, who will assume the Presidency in 2027. David Miller was also given an engraved glass award to recognise his service as Treasurer from 2017 to 2026, a role now taken over by Nigel Payne.
The raffle was a major highlight, with lucky winners taking home luxury leather goods provided by Mulberry, Smythson, Barrhead Leather, Billy Tannery, Cambridge Satchel Company, Zatchells, Crawford Hides, Sustainable Leather Foundation and Steven Trantum. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the support of these organisations in providing such amazing prizes!
With a full dance floor and a flowing bar, it was the perfect way to celebrate our 128 year legacy, proving that while our science evolves, the strength of the SLTC community remains as firm as it was in 1897.
Thank you for our incredible line up of speakers and to every delegate who travelled to be with us. You are the reason this Society continues to lead the international conversation on leather science, technology, innovation and sustainable good practice.
The final special thanks is reserved for all our Sponsors without whom the event wouldn’t be the success it is: Scottish Leather Group, Clyde Leather, Authenticae, GSC Group, International Leather Maker, NTE, Royal Smit & Zoon, Stahl, Sustainable Leather Foundation, TFL, Trumpler and World Leather.
More photos from the event can be accessed on the Conference page here: https://sltc.org/conference-2026/