Jakov Buljan is the 2019 winner of the IULTCS Merit Award, given biennially by the IULTCS Executive to an individual, whose past or current endeavours have had an “extraordinary impact on the industry and provide an example for others to follow”. Having left the University of Zagreb, Croatia, in 1966 with a degree in biochemistry, Buljan then continued to spend his entire professional career in leather industry; commencing with a position as Manager at CIBALIA, Vinkovci, Croatia, one of the largest European producers in goat and hairsheep, where he introduced important innovations in drying and milling resulting in higher output and quality. Subsequently, he held various senior managerial positions, including in the joint venture tannery in India.
In 1983 he started working at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO, in Vienna, where he worked as a Project Manager until his retirement in 2003. During his tenure with UNIDO, Buljan launched new initiatives with emphasis on projects dealing with environmental issues in many developing countries, where more than 50 Effluent Treatment Plants were designed, constructed or supervised under his leadership. He organised lectures of UNIDO workshops in many countries and frequently appears as technical editor, author and/or co-author of a number of technical papers and studies, manuals, brochures and videos.
The Merit Award will be presented to Jakov Buljan during the XXXV IULTCS Congress taking place in Dresden, Germany, June 25-28.
