It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Rubber and Elastomer Association International Conference 2026 (RETA-IC 2026). RETA-IC brings together local and global communities in rubber, elastomers, and green materials. RETA currently comprises approximately 200 members from both the private and public sectors, including university professors, researchers, investors, and students.

RETA-IC 2026 is held under the theme “Eco-friendly and Sustainable Solutions,” emphasizing the advancement of rubber and elastomer materials toward environmentally responsible and durable applications. The conference features three main sessions: Trends in Natural Rubber and Their Social Impacts (NR), Vital Roles of Synthetic Rubber and Elastomers (SR), and Unlocking the Potential of Green Materials (GM), along with two plenary lectures and more than ten keynote and invited speakers.

This year, RETA-IC 2026 hosts two joint symposiums. The first, under the JSPS Core-to-Core Program led by Prof. Hiroshi Uyama (Osaka University), focuses on plastic and bio-based material circulation, including recycling, upcycling, and biodegradation, with participants from Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The second, under the SATREPS Program led by Assoc. Prof. Shinji Kanehashi (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology), highlights rubber seed utilization for biochemicals, biomass plastics, bioenergy, greenhouse gas reduction, and life cycle analysis, involving institutions from Japan and Thailand.

RETA-IC 2026 is expected to welcome more than 120 participants, fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation. We are confident that this conference will serve as a valuable platform to advance sustainable solutions in rubber and elastomer science and technology.

On behalf of RETA, I sincerely thank all speakers, participants, organizers, and sponsors for their contributions, and I wish you a fruitful and inspiring conference.