GSC GROUP has produced three series of videos dedicated to various topics within the industry, each with a specific focus, a distinct voice, and a clear purpose. The topics covered in these videos are as follows:
1. Determination of bisphenols from leather 2. Fogging Test for automotive 3. Veslic Test
“This outreach,” explains the Venetian tanning chemicals company, “stems from the same approach that guides our work every day: research, scientific discussion, and a desire to share knowledge in a clear, accessible, and practical way. This is what guides us even when we choose the language of video to explain complex topics and make them more accessible.”
In the latest series published—as well as in the recent conferences, meetings, and scientific forums in which the company has participated—a topic that is more relevant today than ever is explored in depth: bisphenols. A central topic in the industry debate and closely tied to the questions GSC receives every day from customers and partners. Now GSC GROUP has compiled all the content so it can be accessed as needed, at your own pace, episode by episode. To view the videos, click HERE
The final event in Arzignano on 14 May marked the completion of the programme of local meetings launched by the National Association of Manufacturers of Technologies for Footwear, Leather Goods and Tanning, in collaboration with SACE, Credem Euromobiliare and Studio Russo De Rosa, following events in Vigevano, Santa Croce sull’Arno and Civitanova Marche.
The tour brought together member companies and credit experts in a focused dialogue on the strategic priorities for the sector’s development – including generational transitions, governance and corporate finance – with the aim of strengthening a manufacturing system that is key to Italian exports within a competitive international landscape and enhancing the country’s position in global trade networks.
During the sessions, the Economic and Financial Report on the national machinery sector for tanning, footwear and leather goods was also presented. Compiled by Assomac’s Research Department, the report provides a synoptic analysis of the sector’s performance from 1995 to 2024, with the aim of offering a clear picture of industrial trends, international competitiveness and the financial soundness of manufacturing companies.
“Italian manufacturing represents an industrial and productive heritage that must be safeguarded and strengthened over time, preserving an integrated supply chain model that is unique on the international stage,” said Mauro Bergozza, President of Assomac. “To maintain this role, during our series of regional meetings we have highlighted how essential it is to adopt coherent, long-term strategies capable of supporting the competitiveness of businesses and the evolution of the production system in an increasingly challenging global landscape. In this process, platforms such as Simac Tanning Tech are taking on an increasingly central role, not only as an exhibition event, but as a meeting point for innovation, industry and the market, capable of bringing the supply chain together and showcasing Italian technological excellence.”
Mauro Bergozza, President of Assomac
‘Made in Italy’ put to the test by globalisation
The report highlights how the ‘Made in Italy’ system is becoming increasingly vulnerable to globalisation, the relocation of production and growing competitive pressure.
Innovations, raw materials and finished goods form a unified network, affected by the same market trends and financial fluctuations that have a widespread impact on every single segment. In this context, the close connection between technological progress and manufacturing activity is the defining feature of the national approach, helping to ensure standards of excellence and ample scope for customisation at every stage of the value chain.
This structure has gradually transformed due to an organic shift: industrial output has declined over time in favour of higher quality standards, leading to a commercial focus on the most profitable areas, particularly in the luxury and premium markets.
Foreign trade is the primary driver for this cross-border sector, recording positive trends or declines influenced by global macroeconomic conditions; however, there is a shift in the goods offered, with tanning machinery and components gaining greater prominence at the expense of footwear production equipment. Of the total of over €290 million in overseas sales of technology and equipment recorded in 2024, €119 million relates to tanning, €53 million to classic footwear, €30 million to leather goods and €89 million to insulated components.
Solid financials but falling margins: the sector’s dual challenge
From an economic and financial perspective, an analysis of the financial statements reveals a sector that is structurally sound in terms of its balance sheet and financially stable. However, the sector is facing a slowdown in growth and more aggressive global competitive pressure, with direct impacts on companies’ profit margins.
Over the specific period analysed, there has been a very strong expansion in China, which by 2024 had become the world’s leading exporter at Italy’s expense, creating a clear dichotomy between the two competitors on the international stage.
While Beijing has assumed a dominant position in the footwear machinery sector, aided by price competitiveness and the ability to serve high-volume markets such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh, linked to large-scale manufacturing, Italy still maintains a leading position in machinery for tanneries, leather goods and spare parts.
The ability to maintain a leading role on the global stage will depend on the capacity to combine financial strength, innovation and strategic vision, whilst proactively and synergistically addressing the transformations currently taking place within production chains and key markets.
To manage business continuity, generational succession and the evolution of competitive structures, it is also essential to adopt governance tools and organisational models that support corporate transformation processes, including through approaches such as wealth planning, family agreements and advanced corporate structures, complemented by forms of industrial integration: from mergers and partnerships to the sharing of expertise and the development of complementary offerings. At the same time, access to advanced financial instruments and insurance solutions for exports represents an important strategic lever for supporting internationalisation and growth in foreign markets, whilst investment in innovation and development remains essential for strengthening competitiveness and seizing new international opportunities.
Lightweight design has now become an essential requirement in the footwear industry. It is therefore no coincidence that the German company – a world leader for 80 years in the design and manufacture of machinery, systems and automated solutions for the footwear industry – is placing lightness and the direct injection process (DIP) at the heart of its upcoming DESMA House Fair 2026, reflecting current developments in both performance and sustainability.
The event will feature live demonstrations of highly automated, practice-oriented production processes, featuring innovative foamed sole materials such as polyurethane (PU), thermoplastics or Super Critical Foam (SCF). PU material is foamed using precise CO₂ dosing, while SCF soles are directly injected onto the uppers. Together, these advanced technologies allow for the creation of soles with significantly reduced density while maintaining excellent performance characteristics.
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the entire value chain of lightweight shoe production—from design and mould development to efficient series manufacturing—gaining comprehensive insights into state-of-the-art processes and solutions.
The exhibition will be further enriched by more than 50 co-exhibitors from the global footwear industry, alongside a program of high-level technical presentations, making the event a key meeting point for innovation and exchange within the footwear sector.
Specialising since 2001 in the production of cutting-edge polyurethane systems for the footwear industry, Elachem® has made innovation its hallmark, focusing its attention on the combination of performance, lightness, sustainability and creativity as guiding principles for the future of technical footwear.
For the Vigevano-based company, the starting point for those designing and manufacturing the footwear of the future is no longer the shape, but the material: it is in the way a polymer responds to stress, returns energy and supports the foot that a product’s competitive edge is now determined.
In this transformation, two families of materials are redefining the boundaries of footwear innovation: Epamould® and Epalite® TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), and SCF – Super Critical Foam (expanded thermoplastic polyurethane).
TPU: a language, even before it is a material
TPU is not merely a raw material; it is a technical vocabulary. By varying its density, hardness and geometry, the same polymer can become a durable tread, a stable heel counter, an aesthetic insert, or a dynamic, high-resilience component. For the designer, this means translating an intention into a solution, without compromising between aesthetics and performance: greater responsiveness where thrust is needed, greater support where protection is needed, and greater lightness throughout.
SCF: the paradigm shift
If TPU is grammar, SCF is revolution. Gas expansion generates a uniform, ultra-fine cellular structure with extremely low density and a springy rebound that, until a few years ago, was confined to laboratories. The result is felt from the very first step in terms of progressive cushioning, unflagging comfort and reduced weight. SCF is not ‘a lighter foam’; it is a designed ‘cellular’ architecture.
Sustainability born of engineering
In a market where ESG criteria are now entry requirements, rather than mere reputational exercises, the choice of material becomes a strategic decision. At Elachem, sustainability stems from technology, not marketing – a distinction that even the premium market is learning to recognise and appreciate. Because lighter footwear consumes fewer raw materials, reduces logistical impact and lowers energy consumption during use.
Not just innovation, but new frontiers for creativity
There is one aspect that often remains in the shadows when discussing technical polymers: the creative freedom they offer. Epamould®, Epalite® and SCF allow designers to conceive soles with unprecedented geometries, to integrate functions into individual components, and to experiment with transparencies, colours and finishes that were once purely aesthetic.
For the designer, this represents a broader palette, like a chef giving free rein to their creativity to redefine the paradigm. For R&D, a coherent platform. For the buyer, a product that speaks to both the performance market and the market of desire.
On 20 May, MICAM Milano brought together local operators and industry stakeholders for the presentation of the 102nd edition of the international footwear fair, promoted by Assocalzaturifici, with an event in Tashkent, Central Asia, consolidating industrial dialogue between Italy and Uzbekistan. The event formed part of a sector-wide strategy to support the fashion and leather supply chain in emerging markets.
During the event, a scholarship programme developed with Arsutoria, the Milanese school of excellence specialising in footwear and leather goods training, was also presented. Two young Uzbek designers were selected for training courses dedicated to design and production techniques, with the aim of strengthening creative and industrial skills in the local market.
The initiative took place with the support of ICE Agency – Almaty/Tashkent office – and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, as part of the MICAM Academy project, a platform dedicated to promoting the culture of Italian footwear manufacturing among the younger international generation.
“The Tashkent initiative has confirmed MICAM’s role as a bridge to emerging markets,” said Giovanna Ceolini. “Uzbekistan is a rapidly growing market for Italian footwear imports and an increasingly important market for the footwear sector.”
According to data compiled by the Confindustria Accessori Moda Research Centre for Assocalzaturifici, the Uzbek market is establishing itself as a rapidly growing outlet for Italian-made footwear: Uzbekistan and the whole of Central Asia together import over €62 million worth of Italian footwear (2025), with Uzbekistan alone having purchased €12.4 million worth of Italian shoes, representing an increase of +189.8% over the last five years compared to +125.6% for the entire Central Asian region.”
Last 13th May, the specialist consultancy firm – which combines industrial, academic and consultancy expertise to guide transformation and innovation processes – opened a 400-square-metre space at Via Signorelli 10 in Milan, designed to change the way innovation is anticipated and brought to market in the fashion, luxury and lifestyle sectors. This hub serves as an operational platform that implements a comprehensive innovation model, integrating materials research, product development, strategy and commercialisation. The Innovation Hub is the technological heart of ACBC and manages the entire product lifecycle, from design to circularity.
The Hub offers access to an ecosystem of innovative solutions and promotes collaboration with sectors such as the automotive and interior design industries. The eight-person team, led by Chief Innovation Officer Edoardo Iannuzzi, comprises experts in textiles, leather and polymers, and has a database of over 3,800 materials and around 200 partner organisations—including start-ups, material innovators and multinational leaders—covering various supply chains across Asia, the EU and the USA.
The Hub pursues two innovation strategies: the first concerns the ‘Available’ area, where market-ready materials are presented, and the second is the ‘New Frontiers’ area, where new patents are developed with a 5% R&D budget.
ACBC also offers other complementary services. Strategy Consulting helps companies define growth strategies and improve operational efficiency, integrating sustainability into their business. Supply Chain Managed Services supports product development and industrialisation with a flexible approach. The Marketing & Communication division focuses on translating innovation into market strategies. The T2T approach, which integrates technology and traceability, ensures transparency throughout the supply chain.
“The Hub was created to put innovation – often undervalued in the fashion industry – at the service of the sector. ACBC selects and translates solutions relating to materials, products and circularity into clear and measurable economic and environmental KPIs, enabling brands to evaluate and adopt them on objective and scientific grounds, whilst understanding their concrete benefits.” – said Edoardo Iannuzzi, ACBC Co-Founder & Chief of Innovation.
“With the Innovation Hub, we are reinforcing our vision: to build an infrastructure capable of connecting expertise, technologies and supply chains on a global scale, by bringing together know-how and operational capabilities. We want to consolidate our role as a key partner in the sector’s evolution by helping to drive the transformation towards more advanced, integrated and competitive models” – added Gio Giacobbe, Co-Founder & CEO of ACBC.
The opening of the Innovation Hub comes at a time of consolidation for ACBC, supported by the entry of the Gyrus Capital fund, with the aim of accelerating its development and strengthening its international positioning. B Corp certified and recognised as a leading consultancy for the fashion, luxury and lifestyle sectors, ACBC is now the go-to partner for global brands seeking to develop new products and business models, making innovation – technological, design and industrial – the main driver of competitiveness.
From left: Gio Giacobbe Ceo and CoFounder ACBC Edoardo Iannuzzi Chief Innovation Officer and CoFounder
Leather Naturally has published a new educational resource dedicated to sustainable water management in the leather industry. The document—co-authored by Board members Kim Sena, Aukje Berden, and Camille Mori—explains how critical water is in leather production, from the processing of raw hides through to finishing. It reminds us that water is a limited resource and is increasingly under scrutiny from both environmental and regulatory perspectives. For this reason, the tanning sector must improve how water is measured, managed, and conserved. More sustainable water use, in fact, reduces environmental impact, ensures compliance with future regulations, builds trust among customers and stakeholders, and fosters technological innovation throughout the supply chain. Titled Sustainable Water Management in the Leather Industry, the report aims to provide tools and knowledge useful to all actors in the supply chain to collaborate on sustainable water management practices. The document was developed following a public consultation conducted in late 2025 and is also based on a life cycle assessment (LCA) study carried out by Leather Naturally with technical support from SPIN360.
Here are the key topics: – Why water remains a strategic priority for the leather industry – The foundation of sustainable water management – How sustainable water management is implemented – Limitations and challenges in water management – Case studies and success stories
A stable public-private partnership, a permanent technical committee and a tailor-made modernisation pilot programme for SMEs, aimed at accelerating digitalisation and sustainability and ensuring generational renewal: these are the key points of the joint proposal presented on 12 May by the national associations of footwear and footwear component manufacturers to the Minister for Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu Boher. The aim? To strengthen the competitiveness, modernisation and industrial continuity of the Spanish footwear sector and its ancillary industry.
During the meeting, both organisations emphasised the need to move towards a stable public-private partnership that would enable a response to the structural challenges facing this industrial value chain: increasing price pressure, the transformation of commercial channels, the gradual loss of the manufacturing base, difficulties in generational renewal, a lack of entrepreneurial scale, and new regulatory requirements regarding sustainability, traceability and product standards.
FICE and AEC have proposed to the Ministry that the footwear sector and its components be recognised as a priority area within Spanish industrial policy, given its significance in terms of employment, exports, innovation, territorial cohesion, production capacity and the international prestige of the ‘Made in Spain’ brand.
As the central focus of the proposal, both organisations put forward the possibility of promoting a pilot programme for sectoral industrial modernisation, supported by demonstration companies, technology centres and sectoral infrastructure.
The need to address one of the sector’s main challenges – business continuity – was also raised, along with measures aimed at strengthening the sector’s international competitiveness, supporting market diversification, improving market surveillance and promoting balanced competitive conditions for Spanish and European industry.
Both organisations have called for the establishment of a technical working group with the Ministry, with the aim of defining, in the short term, possible avenues for collaboration, support measures and modernisation projects applicable to the sector.
High-end menswear styles and trends for SS 2027 will be unveiled at the eagerly awaited event in Florence: the 110th edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo, with over 720 brands exhibiting at the Fortezza da Basso (44% of which are coming from more than 30 countries), divided into five sections: Fantastic Classic, Futuro Maschile, Superstyling, Dynamic Attitude and I Go Out.
The Pool is the inspirational and visual theme of the 2026 summer edition of the show, with the central installation curated by Philéo Landowski and designed by Pascal Hachem.
As for the special events, the Guest Designer for this edition is Simone Rocha, founder and creative director of the eponymous brand, who will hold her first independent menswear show in Florence for the occasion, taking place on 18 June at the Teatro della Pergola. The Guest Designer is DSM Kei Ninomiya, the Japanese designer acclaimed for his conceptual approach and already at the helm of noir kei ninomiya, his label that grew under the aegis of Comme des Garçons. The SS 2027 menswear collection will be showcased in Florence, with a special fashion show on 17 June at 10.00 pm at the Complesso di Sant’Orsola. The Special Guest, meanwhile, is JiyongKim, the brand of the South Korean designer who is among the top talents at the 2024 edition of the LVMH Prize, with a project-event specially conceived for Florence in the spaces of Magazzino 07 in the Fortezza. Last but not least, the Danish brand Sunflower will stage a special fashion show on 17 June at 7.00 pm at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale – as a CPHFW Special Project – thus presenting the brand to the international audience at Pitti Immagine Uomo.
“Energy, courage and a transformative vision have always characterised our work; they are the elements that have allowed us to redefine the very concept of the trade fair at every decisive juncture, transforming Pitti Uomo into an event that is not only commercial but also a cultural promoter, a place for dialogue, generating new ideas, trends and connections” – said Antonio De Matteis, president of Pitti Immagine.
“Navigating the future: this is the message and the objective with which we are building the next cycle of fashion fairs,” declared Ivano Cauli, the new CEO of Pitti Immagine, “starting right here with Pitti Uomo.”
Pidigi S.p.A., a global player in innovation and the supply of solutions for the footwear, leather goods and technical apparel sectors, has announced the acquisition of the core assets of Sympatex Technologies GmbH, a strategic move that further strengthens the company’s international positioning in the high-performance and sustainable fabrics sector. The acquisition builds on a long-standing collaboration between the two companies. Pidigi has in fact been working with Sympatex for decades, particularly in the footwear segment and in tape production technologies, integrating Sympatex laminates and membranes into its own product solutions. Through the acquisition, Pidigi will continue Sympatex’s operations, preserving its internationally recognised brand, technological know-how and key operational facilities.
Founded in 1953 and headquartered in Verona, Pidigi is a family-owned company specialized in the development and production of technical components, tapes, laminates and performance solutions for footwear, apparel and industrial applications. The company operates globally through long-standing partnerships with leading international brands.
In addition to its eight international branches, Pidigi integrates its global organizational structure, which is mainly based in the EU and Mediterranean area, with that of Sympatex, which is present in Asia as well as in the EU.
Sympatex, headquartered in Unterföhring near Munich, since 1986 is internationally recognized for its expertise in high-performance membrane technologies for footwear, apparel, workwear, protective equipment and technical applications. Its polyester-based, PFAS-free membrane technologies are known for combining waterproofness, windproofness, breathability and recyclability.
“The acquisition of Sympatex is a natural evolution of a partnership built over many years on trust, shared values and complementary expertise – commented Giorgio De Gara, owner and managing director of Pidigi -. We have always admired Sympatex’s technological capabilities, strong brand identity and commitment to sustainability. We are proud to welcome Sympatex into the Pidigi family and to support the next phase of its development.”
“By combining Sympatex’s membrane technologies and international reputation with Pidigi’s industrial capabilities, operational flexibility and global market presence, we are creating a strong platform for future growth. We see significant opportunities across footwear, apparel, workwear and technical applications, where performance, sustainability and innovation are becoming increasingly central.”
As part of the transaction, Pidigi will retain the core operational structure of Sympatex, including the Unterföhring site near Munich, key international offices and a substantial part of the workforce. The international locations in France, China and Hong Kong, as well as the Korean sales office, will continue operations under the new ownership structure.
The integration aims to ensure continuity for customers, partners and suppliers while creating operational and commercial synergies across the entire value chain. Pidigi intends to further develop Sympatex’s international business and strengthen investments in sustainable material technologies and advanced functional applications.
