LASRA Conference 2026

Serving New Zealand's leather industry since 1928

Advancing Leather Science

Building Technical Capability

Supporting Industry

New Zealand's Technical Conference for the Leather Industry

20–21 August 2026

The Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre · Auckland, New Zealand

What did you get from it?
We'd like to know what you found useful — an idea, a technical insight, a useful discussion, a new contact, or perhaps a different way of looking at an issue facing the industry.

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"Join industry leaders, researchers and technical specialists for two days of practical presentations, technical discussion and professional networking focused on the future of New Zealand's leather industry."
About the Conference

Sharing Knowledge across the Sector

74th LASRA Conference. Building on almost a century of technical collaboration, the Conference continues a long tradition of bringing together researchers, manufacturers, suppliers and industry leaders to address the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand's leather sector.

The conference brings together industry, researchers, technology providers and government partners to share knowledge, discuss emerging challenges and explore future opportunities.

Rather than simply presenting research, the conference provides a practical forum for discussing manufacturing performance, processing capability, sustainability, quality assurance and the technologies that will shape the future of New Zealand's leather industry.

The Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre, Auckland
Ian Proudfoot
Ian Proudfoot KPMG New Zealand Keynote Speaker
Global Head of Agribusiness
Ian will open the conference with an assessment of the outlook for New Zealand's primary industries, exploring global market trends, regulatory change, shifting customer expectations and the implications for processors and exporters.
Stefan Dittrich
Stefan Dittrich FILK, Germany
Leather Research Division
Stefan presents a current FILK project in collaboration with isolab GmbH, which explores how multistable isotope analysis can support leather traceability, authenticate geographical origin and provide new insights into animal production systems and supply-chain transparency, with a particular focus on New Zealand cattle farming.
Core Matrix

Technical & Research Themes

Leather Processing & Manufacturing

Beamhouse innovation, preservation, tanning chemistry, enzymatic processing, chrome-free systems, process optimisation and manufacturing performance.

Leather Chemistry & Performance

Retanning systems, fatliquors, finishing technologies, preservative analysis, material characterisation and the relationship between chemistry and leather performance.

Raw Materials, Quality & Traceability

Hide and skin quality, farm-to-leather relationships, grading, hyperspectral imaging, traceability and supply chain assurance.

Sustainability & Resource Recovery

Process-based LCA, water and energy efficiency, waste-to-value pathways, resource recovery and environmental compliance.

Digital Decision Support & Process Intelligence

Machine vision, predictive process models, digital quality systems, decision-support tools and practical automation for leather manufacturing.

74th LASRA Conference

Conference Programme

20–21 August 2026 · The Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre, Auckland

Conference Schedule

Conference Programme

The Conference will be held in the Discovery Room at The Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre. The programme combines invited keynote presentations, current research updates and open technical sessions covering the challenges, technologies and opportunities shaping New Zealand's leather industry.

Thursday 20 August 2026
08:30
Registration
09:00
Welcome & Conference Overview
09:05
Opening Keynote: The Outlook for New Zealand's Primary Industries Ian Proudfoot — KPMG
Setting the strategic context for New Zealand's leather industry by examining global markets, policy change, customer expectations and the evolving operating environment for exporters and processors.
09:45
Building Technical Capability for New Zealand's Leather Future Geoff Holmes — LASRA
Research, testing, training and collaboration in a changing industry
10:15
Morning Tea
10:45
Research to Capability — SSIF in Action Dr Shereen Ong — LASRA
Translating research outcomes into practical tools and technical capability for industry.
11:15
Current Research & Industry Projects Dr John Liu
Progress Towards Hyperspectral Imaging-Based Defect Detection in Raw Materials for Leather Production.
11:45
Insights from Italy's Leather Technology Ecosystem Yash Dixit — BSI
Emerging Technologies for Leather Manufacturing.
12:30
Lunch & Networking
Practical Technical & Applied Sessions
13:45
Processing Innovation Dr Shereen Ong
Predictive frameworks for crosslinking & hydrolysis.
14:15
Digital Tools for Leather Manufacturing Geoff Holmes — LASRA
An early-stage exploration of optical sensing for improved control and optimisation of leather processing in the drum.
15:00
Afternoon Tea
15:30
Invited International Presentation Stefan Dittrich – FILK, Germany
Isotope Analysis of Cowhide Leather: New Approaches to Origin Analysis
Exploring how multistable isotope analysis can strengthen leather traceability, authenticate geographical origin and provide new insights into animal production systems and supply-chain transparency.
16:15
Industry Forum
Setting Future Research Priorities
An open discussion bringing together industry, researchers and technology providers to identify future technical priorities for New Zealand's leather sector.
17:00
Day One Wrap-up
18:30
Conference Dinner
Private Brasserie, The Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre.
Friday 21 August 2026
09:00
Sheep of the Future: Project Update Dr Natalie Pickering, Focus Genetics
An update on the Sheep of the Future project, followed by an opportunity to examine skins from selected 2026 animals representing four groups of particular interest to LASRA.
09:45
From Chrome Shavings to Leather Processing Geoff Holmes — LASRA
Can a waste stream become a functional process material?
10:30
Morning Tea
11:00
Sustainability, Resource Recovery & Environmental Performance Zoheb Akhter — LASRA
Preparation and characterisation of chrome-tanned leather shaving-derived films.
11:45
Raw Materials, Quality & Traceability Dr John Liu — LASRA
Enhancing Product Tracking and Export Growth
12:15
Conference Close

Conference Proceedings

The LASRA Conference Proceedings (ISSN 1174-9547) continue a long-standing tradition of preserving and sharing technical knowledge from New Zealand's leather industry.

In keeping with LASRA's commitment to technical knowledge transfer, the Proceedings provide a permanent record of the ideas, research and practical experience presented at the Conference.

Presentation abstracts will be included in the Proceedings, and conference sessions may be recorded to assist with preparing the published volume. Where appropriate, LASRA may prepare an edited paper or transcript based on a presentation. Where an edited paper or transcript is prepared by LASRA, authors will be provided with the opportunity to review and approve the final version prior to publication.

Publication Options

Industry Technical Advisory Group (ITAG)

The LASRA Industry Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) will meet on the afternoon of Wednesday 19 August 2026, at 14:30, immediately prior to the Conference.

Attendance is by invitation and is open to Technical Managers and nominated industry representatives from LASRA member organisations. The meeting provides an opportunity to discuss current technical priorities, review ongoing research activities and identify future areas for industry collaboration.

Logistics

The Venue

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Location The Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre
10–20 Gladstone Road, Parnell, Auckland 1052
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Parking Complimentary on-site parking is fully provided for conference delegates.

Accommodation Options

The Parnell Hotel Stay on-site at the main conference venue.
Quest Parnell Serviced apartments located 5 minutes' walk away.
Auckland Parnell View
After the Conference

What Did You Get From It?

The LASRA Technical Conference 2026 brought together people from across the sector to discuss research, technology, current challenges and the future of New Zealand's leather industry.

We'd like to know what you found useful — whether it was an idea, a technical insight, a new contact, a discussion, or perhaps a different way of looking at a problem.

Your perspective will help us understand what was most valuable and help shape future LASRA conferences, industry forums and technical discussions.

Tell Us What You Got From It

The feedback form will take only a few minutes to complete.

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