Vilko Žiljak, Scientist and Innovator, passes away at 80
Croatian scientist and innovator, Professor Emeritus Vilko Žiljak, one of the pioneers of computer graphics and co-author of the design of the Croatian banknote kuna, has passed away at the age of 80, the Zagreb University of Applied Sciences announced.
The following text written by Prof. Dr. Anastasios Politis is an obituary for the late Prof. Vilko Žiljak:
I first met Vilko Žiljak in 2002, and since then we were close friends. He introduced me in the amazing world of his invention, namely the infrared design and printing. We shared common values for the industry and the society, developing a great friendship which lasted all these years.
Born on December 18, 1946, in Sveti Ivan Zelina, Žiljak graduated in experimental physics from the Faculty of Science in Zagreb and earned his doctorate in computer science from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. From 1982, he served as a professor at the Faculty of Graphic Arts, University of Zagreb, where he headed the Department of Printing Typesetting and Computer Technology. He played a key role in developing new study programs and courses across several faculties of the University.
Žiljak was a full professor, professor emeritus of the University of Zagreb, and a full member of the Croatian Academy of Engineering. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of Croatian computer graphics, mathematical modelling, and graphic technology. Over his career, he published more than one hundred original scientific papers and ten books, and was instrumental in establishing new academic programs. He also served as the first head of the postgraduate study of Graphic Engineering at the Faculty of Graphic Arts in Zagreb.
Among his notable innovations was INFRAREDESIGN, or infrared design, and InfraredArt, a method enabling the printing of hidden visual information in the infrared spectrum. This technology has been applied in the security printing of banknotes, documents, and works of art.
He was widely recognized by the public as a co-author of the design of the Croatian kuna currency, for which he notably declined any fee. He also participated in the design of the first official documents of the Republic of Croatia.
Throughout his career, Žiljak received numerous national and international awards, including the State Award for Science (2010), the Nikola Tesla Award for Best Croatian Innovator (2009), and several honors at international innovation exhibitions, such as the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival and the International Innovation Salon in Geneva.
Beyond science, Žiljak was active in sports as a sailor, sports pilot, and president of the Croatian Bobsleigh Federation.
In its farewell message, the Zagreb University of Applied Sciences emphasized that Žiljak will be remembered as “a visionary who combined exact science and art”, leaving an indelible mark on Croatian science, technology, and art.
And I should add a significant impact on expanding printing technology in new dimensions.
Anastasios Politis