The ITC – International Tribology Council is the international umbrella organisation of the national tribology societies. ITC was founded on the occasion of the first European Tribology Congress EUROTRIB 1973 in London. The main proponent and first president of ITC was the “father of tribology” Prof. Peter H. JOST.

The primary goals of the ITC are international communication in the field of tribology with the emphasis on science, technology and education. A further concern is the coordination and information transfer regarding international tribology conferences. In particular, the ITC is responsible for the decision-making on the WTC events (World Tribology Congress) taking place every four years on the basis of applications from the national professional associations (possibly in cooperation with or with the support of related or “friendly” institutions).

Peter JOST was ITC President until his death in 2016. Prof. Kenneth HOLMBERG (VTT, Finland) served as interim president until the election of a new president at the ITC Assembly at the World Congress of Tribology 2017 in Beijing. Dr. Ali ERDEMIR, at that time Distinguished Researcher at Argonne National Institute, Argonne, USA, now TEES Eminent Professor at Texas A&M University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, TX, USA, volunteered for a 4-year term of office. Ali ERDEMIR has long been known in Austria as a plenary speaker from tribology events (WTC 2001, ECOTRIB 2019).

A new election of the ITC President is scheduled for 2021 on the occasion of the Tribology World Congress WTC 2021 in Lyon, France: http://www.wtc2021.org/

Each national institution represented in the ITC has the right to nominate a Vice-President. For Austria resp. the ÖTG, this function is performed by the ÖTG President Prof. Dr. Andreas PAUSCHITZ. Furthermore, the ITC includes “Corresponding Members”, also nominated by the national associations. At the request of the current ITC President, a “Distinguished Advisory Board” was set up, consisting mainly of long-standing tribologists who have been awarded the Tribology Gold Medal. ITC President Prof. Ali ERDEMIR and the ITC Executive Committee have recently appointed the former ÖTG President and current ÖTG board member, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hon.DSc. Friedrich FRANEK as a member of the “Distinguished Advisory Board”.

It is the task of the members of this committee to bring in their long-time experiences concerning research and industrial applications of tribology and to advise the ITC president in current questions in the field of interest or activity of the ITC. Austria and the ÖTG are now represented in the ITC by another prominent position. The ÖTG is pleased about this honourable international perception.