The 8th International Conference Environmental and Material Flow Management (EMFM 2018) was held

Last week, from November 14 to 16, 2018, it was held in Zenica 8th International Conference "Environmental and Material Flow Management (EMFM 2018)", organized by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Zenica (UNZE), jointly with partners: University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology from Bor and University of Applied Sciences from Trier, University Campus Birkenfeld.

Issues of environmental protection, climate change and EU policy show growth trends and increasing interest, and accordingly the EMFM 2018 conference had an excellent response and included works by authors and co-authors from eight countries.

To the satisfaction of the Organizing Committee, the EMFM 2018 conference was also recognized by relevant institutions such as the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Transport and Communications and Environmental Protection ZDK and the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism. In addition to Minister Fahrudin Brkić from the ZDK Government and representatives of the FBiH Ministry, the guests were also welcomed by representatives of the University of Zenica and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of UNZE, i.e. vice rector prof. dr. Enes Hašić and dean prof. Ph.D. Fuad Hadžikadunić and, especially, Prof. Dr. Šefket Goletić, head of the Department of Environmental Engineering at UNZE and head of the EMFM 2018 Organizing Committee, under whose leadership EMFM 2018 was organized.

The three-day conference hosted over 90 participants, where authors and co-authors presented 41 scientific and professional papers. The plenary part alone had six papers, mainly on the latest achievements in the field of new environmental management methods, environmental protection engineering, renewable energy sources and sustainable development, including new tools and new materials. In the introductory part, a special report on the analysis of the Energy Strategy of BiH and the recently adopted Strategic Plan of Rural Development of BiH was presented. The analysis was done by a team of experts gathered in the NGO "Green Building Council", and the data they obtained was presented by prof. Dr. Sanela Klarić.

The further work of EMFM 2018 took place in three successive sessions, and all those interested had the opportunity to present their research. On the third day, the participants visited the laboratories and centers of the University of Zenica as final activities within the EMFM 2018.

On this occasion, we would like to especially thank our sponsors for their support (in alphabetical order, they were): ALBA ZENICA doo Zenica, ArcelorMittal Zenica, City of Zenica, JP BH Post, Tvornica cementa Kakanj (member Heidelberg Cement Group) and the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Transport and Communications and Environmental Protection of the Zenica-Doboj Canton.

Considering all the above, we are happy that EMFM 2018 achieved its goal of promoting new scientific and practical achievements in the field of environmental protection engineering (and related fields) and thus contributed to raising the overall level of knowledge and expertise in the aforementioned fields.

For the organizing committee

Prof. Dr. Šefket Goletić