“Mission to the Future” is the title of the GSC Group’s 2025 Sustainability Report.
A year of significant achievements and investments, of responsibility and innovation. “This is a path we chose to take before it became mandatory, because we believe that sustainability doesn’t wait for deadlines,” explain company representatives of the Vicenza-based leather chemicals company.

“The 2025 Report is a roadmap for the path we are building. By the end of 2026, we will present our Strategic Sustainability Plan, with measurable goals regarding emissions, resources, people, and the supply chain. The journey has only just begun.”

2025 at a glance
INVESTING TO INNOVATE
A new application laboratory: bigger, more innovative
Our new Leather Innovation Hub is a state-of-the-art facility that strengthens research, quality control, application development and technical support. A concrete investment to deliver increasingly effective and responsible solutions.

SUSTAINABILITY STARTS WITH THE PRODUCT
Responsible innovation, value across the entire supply chain
Every day, we work to develop sustainability-driven solutions, generating value for clients, partners and the local community.

PEOPLE, SAFETY AND GOVERNANCE
Culture, expertise, safety
We updated our 231 Model, reinforcing a culture of compliance and responsible governance. We continue to invest in people, training and safety, first and foremost.

TOGETHER WITH CLIENTS AND PARTNERS
Building value, together
Sustainability isn’t built alone. It’s built together, by sharing goals, tools and responsibilities across the entire supply chain. This Report speaks to our supply chain, not just to the market.

In the video below, Dr. Francesco Serafini presents the Report—prepared in accordance with recognized European standards—and highlights the key investments of 2025.

On July 17, Lapi Group celebrated an important triple anniversary with Lapi Ensemble, the event organized in Santa Croce sull’Arno (Pisa) to mark the 75th anniversary of Lapi Group and its founding company, Figli di Guido Lapi, as well as the 60th anniversary of Lapi Gelatine. The event’s title evokes the concept of a musical ensemble, symbolizing the ability of people, companies, and expertise to work in harmony toward a shared vision of the future.
The event was attended by employees, shareholders, long-time collaborators, and institutional representatives, in a gathering dedicated not only to celebrating the Group’s history but also to strengthening ties with the local community and defining future prospects.
The company’s origins date back to 1951, when Francesco, Mario, and Dino Lapi founded Figli di Guido Lapi, expanding the chemical products business their father had started in the 1930s. Over the decades, the family has contributed significantly to the development of the Tuscan tanning district, promoting technological innovations, processes geared toward the circular economy, and a growing openness to international markets. Among the most significant milestones were the testing of mimosa extract for vegetable tanning in 1962 and the support provided to tanneries in the Leather District following the 1966 flood, thanks to the supplies of tannins available in the company’s warehouses.
Today, the Lapi Group is an international industrial company with consolidated revenue of 152 million euros in 2025, approximately 350 employees, and operations in the industrial chemicals, fashion, and gelatin and collagen production sectors for food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical applications.
The celebration took place in two parts: first at the Teatro Verdi in Santa Croce sull’Arno, featuring speeches by management and regional and local officials, and later at the historic Villa Lapi, the Group’s headquarters, where guests enjoyed guided tours, an aperitif, and dinner accompanied by music from the Empoli Jazz Association.
As President Francesco Lapi emphasized, the event was intended to pay tribute to the family’s entrepreneurial history, highlighting above all the people who made its growth possible. “Lapi Ensemble” thus became a statement of intent: to continue building the future by leveraging collaboration, innovation, and strong roots in the local community. Among the guests who attended the celebration were Eugenio Giani, president of the Tuscany Region; Antonio Mazzeo, vice president of the Regional Council; and the mayors of Santa Croce sull’Arno, Castelfranco di Sotto, and San Miniato.

“Beyond Parochial Interests: When the Supply Chain Networks.” A title that already encapsulates the message of the AICC Tuscany Region Annual Conference, held on July 9 at Villa Sonnino in San Miniato. Reinforcing this message is an equally significant subtitle: “The goal is right: the path is built together.” A clear call to work as a team to tackle the major challenges facing the leather supply chain—from regulations to compliance, from sustainability to new prospects for the tanning industry.

The proceedings were opened by the new AICC president, Tomaso Pellegrini, who, after thanking his predecessors, reiterated a concept that would serve as the central theme of the entire day: “Together, by supporting one another, we can build the future. Let’s also try to address problems from different perspectives.”

Among the most anticipated speeches was that of Member of the European Parliament Dario Nardella, who has long been supportive of the sector’s concerns and is known for his commitment to excluding leather from the EUDR regulation. “Parochialism is anachronistic and harmful,” he stated, once again emphasizing the value of collaboration among stakeholders in the supply chain. Nardella then updated those present on the ongoing debate in Brussels regarding some of the most sensitive issues for the sector, including restrictions on polymers, PFAS, and bisphenols. “We are working to ensure that decisions on these matters are based on sound and accurate scientific data,” he explained. The Member of the European Parliament also returned to the topic of the EUDR, emphasizing that “when the sector presents a united front, results follow,” and finally announced the launch of a cross-party working group in the European Parliament dedicated to revitalizing the fashion and textile sector.
The presentations titled “Driving Change: The Tanning Sector’s Proactive Approach,” delivered by Giulia Martin and Marta Montanari of UNIC – Concerie Italiane, explored, on the one hand, the latest technical updates regarding the EUDR and, on the other, the challenges related to environmental regulations posed by rules such as Ecodesign and the Digital Product Passport.
Tiziana Gambicorti, head of AICC Tuscany and chair of CEN/TC 289 and IUC, presented a report focused on “New Analytical Methods for Tanning: The Case of Fluorine and Beyond” and reported on the work currently underway in technical working groups to develop and validate analytical methods that are still lacking, such as the method for total fluorine.
In his remarks, Federico Brugnoli, CEO of Spin360, explained the importance of the new “Guidelines” for measuring the environmental footprint of leather, recently published by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which establish a fundamental principle: that leather is an animal byproduct that is “non-determinative” for environmental change. Developed with technical support from SPIN 360, the UNIDO recommendations represent a major step forward in the proper recognition of leather as a circular material.
The floor was then given to Alberto De Conti, Sector Lead – Formulators at ZDHC, who outlined the latest developments in the Chemicals to Zero (CTZ) initiative, which this year introduced an additional level of chemical compliance—called “Aspirational” —following the “Progressive” level, which had been the highest to date. “It represents an opportunity,” explained De Conti, “to further differentiate oneself in the market by transforming technical effort into reputation.”
Sabrina Frontini, director of ICEC, outlined the changes introduced by the new European directives and the challenges the sector faces in balancing the needs of the leather supply chain. She described the current context as “a perfect storm” for companies in the sector, inviting them to view the Italian Certification Institute as “a beacon and a shield” during this phase of transformation.

Cecilia Polizzi, a professor at the University of Florence, concluded the series of presentations by discussing “Networking on Water Treatment” and highlighting the importance of the Meta project, which has unfortunately been hampered by a lack of funding.
The event concluded with a roundtable discussion on the central theme of the event, “Beyond Silo Thinking: When the Supply Chain Networks,” moderated by journalist and founder of Solo Moda Sostenibile, Silvia Gambi. During the debate and the Q&A session with the audience, concerns emerged among leather chemists regarding the growing proliferation of compliance requirements imposed by brands, the excessive number of certifications currently on the market, and the ever-tightening of these requirements.

On July 13, the European Commission published the delegated act that updates and simplifies the list of products covered by the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The final text confirms what had already been outlined in the draft released in May: cattle hides, at any stage of processing, will not fall within the scope of the regulation.
This is an important milestone for the tanning sector and the associations representing it, including UNIC – Concerie Italiane and Cotance, which have been engaged on this issue since the legislative process began in 2021. This is a significant result, but it represents a crucial step rather than the final stage of the process.

The Commission’s Rationale
The comments gathered during the public consultation period reinforced the Commission’s position on the appropriateness of excluding bovine leather from the EUDR. Brussels recognizes that hides and skins are a byproduct of the livestock industry and that tanneries lack the necessary tools to obtain all the information required by the regulation.
The Commission also points out that including only bovine leather—without extending the requirements to finished leather products—would have created a market distortion. Such a decision, rather than reducing the risks associated with deforestation, would simply have shifted those risks to other areas of the global market.

Next Steps
With the publication of the delegated act and its notification to the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, a two-month scrutiny period now begins. Although the Parliament may request an extension of the scrutiny period, this seems unlikely.
If no objections are raised by September 13, the act will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will definitively enter into force. At that point, the exclusion of bovine leather from the scope of the EUDR will also become official.

At the AICC Conference held on July 9, it was announced that the IULTCS (International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies) has entrusted Italy and the Italian Association of Leather Chemists (AICC) with organizing the 2029 IULTCS World Congress, which will follow the event scheduled to take place in Mexico in October 2027.
The Italian bid was presented by Tomaso Pellegrini, recently elected president of the AICC. The proposal highlighted the leading role of the Italian tanning industry—internationally recognized for the excellence of its integrated supply chain—by offering a scientific program focused on innovation, sustainability, the circular economy, and digital transformation. The proposal also includes technical visits to Italy’s main tanning districts and opportunities for dialogue and collaboration between the research and industrial communities. The IULTCS Executive Committee, consisting of twenty members, unanimously approved the project.
The 2029 edition of the Congress will take on even greater significance as it will coincide with the 125th anniversary of the founding of the AICC, celebrating over a century of commitment to promoting leather science and technology.
“We are deeply honored by the trust that IULTCS has placed in the AICC and the entire Italian leather industry,” said President Tomaso Pellegrini. “We look forward to welcoming colleagues from around the world and organizing a conference that will highlight scientific excellence, promote innovation, and strengthen international cooperation.”
The organizational phase will now begin, which includes establishing the Organizing Committee, selecting the host city for the Congress, and finalizing the scientific program.
Past experience suggests this will be a major event. One need only recall the success of the EuroCongress organized by the AICC in September 2022, titled “Rinascimento: The Next Leather Generation,” which attracted approximately 520 participants from 21 countries, confirming the Association’s ability to promote events of international scope.

It’s still more than a year away, but people are already starting to talk about the 39th IULTCS Congress, scheduled to take place in León, Mexico, from October 25 to 28, 2027. The flagship event of the International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS), which is held every two years in a different country, promises to be more significant than ever. First and foremost, this is due to the host city’s significance and appeal to the leather sector: León is the heart of one of the world’s leading leather-producing regions and will offer delegates the opportunity to gain firsthand insight into the Mexican leather industry.
This time, the host will be the León Association of Leather Chemists and Technologists (AQTCL), which will work in collaboration with the Guanajuato State Chamber of the Tanning Industry (CICUR). Their shared goal is to bring together scientists, technicians, researchers, manufacturers, brands, chemical suppliers, machinery experts, and sustainability leaders from around the world.
In line with the IULTCS’s statutory objectives, the conference will serve as a global platform for sharing the latest advances in science, technology, and innovation in the leather sector, while encouraging collaboration across the entire leather supply chain.
Participants will have the opportunity to connect with international experts, decision-makers, universities, brands, tanners, and suppliers, exchanging ideas and innovations that can help shape the next generation of leather production.
For more details, visit https://congressiultcsleon2027.mx