Progress and Evaluation of the TOP 2024 Conference
Conference TOP 2024, Technika ochrany prostredia, 28. – 30.10. 2024, Zvolen, Slovakia
5. September 2024Progress and Evaluation of the TOP 2024 Conference
Progress and Evaluation of the TOP 2024 Conference
From October 28 to 30, 2024, the 28th annual international conference “Environmental Protection Technology – TOP 2024” was held at the Technical University in Zvolen. The main organizers of the event were the Technical University in Zvolen and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, the founding institution of the event. Co-organizers included ZSVTS, ZAP, UNIVNET, the Wood Congress, CVTI, and SASI. Significant collaboration was also established with media partners: Waste Forum, Proenergy, Energyhub, MAGAZÍN, Quark, Veda na dosah, Journal of Mechanical Engineering, and Acta Facultatis Xylologiae.
The conference brought together scientists, environmental protection experts, and industrial companies to engage in discussions on innovations in mechanical engineering, the forest–wood–ecology–environment complex, and waste management. Participants presented innovative products, technologies, materials, and services, and exchanged insights on strategies, challenges, and experiences related to EU/SR legislation, waste management, circular economy, and life cycle analysis (LCA).
The conference hosted 75 participants from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary. A total of 38 presentations were delivered, including 4 poster presentations. The first day featured plenary sessions offering insights into circular economy legislation, product life cycles, and the carbon footprint of automobiles in Europe. The program also included a tour of the research facilities and infrastructure at the Technical University in Zvolen. The second day featured two parallel lecture sessions: “Utilization of Waste from the Automotive Industry” and “Utilization of Waste from Biomass.” The day concluded with a gala evening, during which the winners of the TOP 2024 competition were announced. A cultural program was also prepared, featuring a performance by the folklore ensemble Poľana.
TOP 2024 Awards
Category: Progressive Idea
Awards were presented by Assoc. Prof. Miloš Matúš, PhD., President of SASI (Slovak Association of Mechanical Engineers):
1st place
D.Sc. Andrzej Antczak, Assoc. Prof. (SGGW Warsaw, Poland): “ Terpene profile study using GC-MS technique in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood from different locations in Poland and Slovenia“
2nd place
Ing. Anna Darabošová (TU Zvolen): “New Wood-Plastic Composites: Mechanical Properties”
3rd place
Ing. Viliam Čačko, PhD. (STU Bratislava): “Analytical Determination of Tool Surface Treatment for Glass Recycling”
Figure 1 (from left): SASI President Assoc. Prof. Matúš, Prof. Antczak, Ing. Darabošová, Ing. Čačko
Category: Environmental Technology
Awards were presented by Prof. Ľubomír Šooš, PhD., Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava:
1st place
Ing. Daniel Bukov, Mária Selecká (Krupina): “Sustainable Production at BROTHER (INDUSTRIES (SLOVAKIA) s.r.o.)”
2nd place
Mgr. Rupali Tiwari, PhD. (TU Zvolen): “ Thermal Characterization of Particleboar for Green Energy Practices “
3rd place
Ing. Richard Nadányi, PhD. (STU Bratislava): “ Influence of Precipitation Conditions on Lignin Properties and its Application in NBR “
Figure 2 (from left): Prof. Šooš, Dave Lawrence (Brother Industries Slovakia, s.r.o.), Mgr. Tiwari, Ing. Nadányi
Category: Student Work
Awards were presented by Prof. h.c. Prof. Ing. Jozef Krilek, PhD., Vice-Rector for Science and Research at the Technical University in Zvolen:
1st place
Bc. Kristína Talianová: “Recovery of Selected Metals from Smartphones After Their Life Cycle Ends”
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Martina Laubertová, PhD. (TU Košice)
2nd place
Bc. Zuzana Kravcová: “The Role of Local Government in Mitigating the Harmful Effects of Production and Technology on the Environment”
Supervisor: Ing. Mgr. Júlia Rakovská, PhD. (EU Bratislava)
3rd place
Bc. Andrej Barčák: “Effect of Sample Geometry on the Fatigue Resistance of High-Strength Structural Steel Hardox 450”
Supervisor: Ing. Denisa Straková, PhD. (ŽU in Žilina)
Figure 3 (from left): Prof. Krilek, Bc. Kristína Talianová, Bc. Zuzana Kravcová, Prof. Ing. Jozef Jandačka, PhD.
