Arsutoria Studio

Simac Tanning Tech will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special edition

It is still six months away but people are already starting to talk about Simac Tanning Tech 2024.
The international exhibition of technology for footwear, leather goods and tanning will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special edition to be held in Rho Fiera Milano from 17 to 19 September 2024. The event, which will bring together more than 300 exhibitors from all over the world, will be an opportunity to celebrate the past and look to the future of an ever-evolving sector. As always organised by Assomac, the fair will feature a series of events and exhibitions that will delve into the latest trends in the leather industry, technological innovations and environmental challenges. The main events, which are currently being defined, include: an exhibition on leather technology that will retrace the history of the sector; networking initiatives and workshops as an opportunity for operators in the sector to meet and exchange ideas, focus on specific topics such as sustainability, creativity and technology, and finally the highlighting of the best technological innovations. The fair will also be an opportunity to foster networking between industry players. Meetings, conferences and seminars will be organised to discuss the latest innovations and share experiences.
“We are proud to celebrate 50 years of Simac Tanning Tech,” said Maria Vittoria Brustia, President of Assomac and Simac Tanning Tech. “This trade fair is a benchmark for the footwear, leather goods and tanning technology sector and we are convinced that this special edition will be a unique opportunity for discussion and sharing.”
The organisers expect to fully occupy both pavilions 14 and 18 of Fiera Milano Rho, exceeding 300 exhibitors. Many expressions of interest have been received in recent months from companies that have never attended the fair before. In addition, numerous visitors and delegations of international buyers are expected thanks to the support of ICE-Agency. Registration will soon officially open for exhibiting companies to take part in the 50th edition of Simac Tanning Tech.
For more information, visit the website: www.simactanningtech.

Simac Tanning Tech 2023

Tanning pays off! The circularity of leather production

In recent years, some stakeholders in the fashion and automotive industries are questioning the circularity paradigm at the heart of the tanning sector, i.e. that tanneries are processors of a by-product of the food industry with consequent environmental benefits. Studies such as “Circumfauna” on the initiative of Collective Fashion Justice, conclude, in fact, that from a sustainability point of view it is more convenient not to process the hides and skins, but to send them to landfill and replace them with alternative materials (e.g. synthetics) [1].
As is well known, from the raw hides and skins resulting from slaughtering, only a part is destined for leather processing; the layers that cannot be ennobled through tanning processes are used in other industrial sectors for the production of, for example, gelatines, products for cosmetics or agriculture (fertilisers). As reported in the “Business case” published by the Markets Institute (World Wildlife Fund – WWF) [3], if raw hides and skins were not recovered for leather production, their disposal in landfills would result in the release of greenhouse gases [3] such as carbon dioxide and methane, with consequent impact on the environment. The non-reuse of raw hides, conversely, would result in the production of alternative upholstery materials. Such materials are often identified as vegan ‘skins’, in many cases produced from plastic, i.e. raw materials derived from fossil fuels [3].
The question to be answered is: is leather production actually a process with a positive environmental balance? Or is it more cost-effective to replace it with alternative materials and dispose of raw hides and skins in landfills after slaughter?
This question has already been answered in the article ‘Would it really be better to let hides rot than turn them into leather? No…” by Leather Trade House published on its website leatheruk.org [2]. In the article, the calculation on carbon dioxide emissions performed by Circumfauna [1] is taken up, correcting some values of CO2 emitted by considering the real weight of raw hides and taking into account the formation of methane in the degradation processes of hides in landfills.
In terms of the balance of CO2 emitted, the lack of tanning of part of the raw hides and skins would entail the substitution of the leather with an alternative material and the disposal of the hides and skins, i.e. we would have to compare the CO2 emitted for tanning production with the sum of the CO2 deriving from the production of the alternative material and that from disposal. Going into the details of the values (excluding for simplicity’s sake emissions from livestock farming, which would always be present) and considering as valid the balance that only takes into account the portion of raw hide used in tanning processes, the values of CO2 [2] emitted for landfill disposal, synthetic leather production [1] and leather production are as follows:

– Emissions from landfill of leather: 4.08 – 8.78 kg CO2e/m2 [2]
– Emissions from synthetic leather production: 15.8 kg CO2e/m2 [1].
– Emissions from leather production: 7.0 – 17.0 kg CO2e/m2

In the data reported for landfill emissions, the maximum value of 8.78 kg CO2e takes into account the impact of methane production in the degradation process of the landfilled leather. Furthermore, the value reported in the Circumfauna study on CO2 emissions is higher than the value calculated by SSIP in some studies carried out on typical tanneries for the production of automotive metal free leather and chrome leather for footwear, for which actual emissions between 7.0 and 11 kg CO2e/m2 were found. A comparison of leather production with the proposed alternative of landfilling and substitution with other coating material is schematically presented in Table 1, including minimum and maximum values for disposal and leather production data.

PROCESS CO2e/m2 (min) CO2e/m2 (max)
Landfilling 4.08 8.78
Alternative synthetic production 15.80 15.80
19.88 24.58
Leather production 7.0 17.0



Once again, it appears that tanning is indeed a process with environmental benefits. Add to this, as stated in the Markets Institute’s Business Case [3], that from the point of view of circularity, leather can be recycled and reused and has superior durability compared to many synthetic alternatives.


by Ing. Rosario Mascolo, Technical-Scientific Coordinator Product Development Department SSIP
Contributors: Dr. Gianluigi Calvanese – Dr. Marco Nogarole

[1] https://circumfauna.org/leather-carbon-footprint
[2] https://leatheruk.org/would-it-really-be-better-to-let-hides-rot-than-turn-them-into-leather-no/
[3] https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/3gs7vgqvmc_DCF_Leather_Business_Case_10_22_v4.pdf
 
 

“Tanneries will return to work in developed countries”

As of 1 January 2024, Joan Carles Castell is the new president of IULTCS – International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies, the supranational body that brings together leather chemicals associations from around the world. According to its statute, the objectives of IULTCS are to promote cooperation between member associations, organise congresses to push the industry forward, set up commissions to investigate specific issues and establish international methods for testing and analysis.
Founded 126 years ago, over time the Union of Tanning Technicians has organised 37 international congresses in 20 different countries on all continents; the most recent took place in Chengdu, China, in October 2023. The next one will be in Europe, specifically in Lyon, France, in September 2025.
Newly appointed President Castell generously granted ARS Tannery an all-round interview addressing all the hot topics in the industry.

What are the guidelines of your presidency?
“The historical record shows us the success of the activities that IULTCS has carried out in the 126 years since its foundation. Leather technology has been evolving all those long years with the needs of the industry, continually re-inventing a craft that began in prehistory. IULTCS has played a leading role as a platform for chemists and technicians who specialize in leather manufacturing to exchange their knowledge. The technical commissions created by IULTCS have been generating standards that facilitate international trade.
Inspired by the past but looking to the future, three of my goals for the next years will be:
* A detailed review and update of the Statutes and Internal Regulations to ensure that the governing documents align with new scenarios. These are both opportunities such as forms of communication and digitalization, or threats, with associations that see their resources limited with the relocation of tanneries to other regions.
* Empowering the role of the IULTCS Commissions, both to boost their effectiveness and to explore the establishment of a new commission for sustainability. This commission will address the emerging challenges and work to drive positive change within the industry.
* And, of course, the XXXVIII IULTCS Congress to be hold in September 2025 in Lyon, France”.


What aspects/issues are closest to your heart?
Personally, this year I will celebrate 50 years as a dedicated leather industry professional. I remember in the 80s that as a young sales technician visiting tanneries, my boss at a leather dye company that I worked for advised me to look at the color of the river to see the dyes I had to sell. Today, this is unimaginable. Later, we began to provide simple safety data sheets and some chemical substances began to be restricted. It has been hard work ever since then to keep pushing through changes, but they were needed. Today I look at our industry, the tanneries, the chemical supplies, the machinery and the engineering as an example of modernity, high technology and sustainability. It all combines to give value to a noble, resistant and irreplaceable material created by nature.
I and many colleagues around the world have dedicated our lives to leather because we know how this industry accepts the challenges from environmental issues, the creation of new leather articles, enabling innovations in fashion, and improving tannery performance. We overcome them with constant innovations in technology, safety, and sustainability.
IULTCS represents to me many things that are both close to my heart and that motivate and commit me. In the next two years it will be my task and my honor to see that IULTCS carries on and increases its technical and scientific support for this exemplary industry”.


The leather sector is facing difficult challenges, from economic uncertainty to environmental changes. How do you see the international situation?
“Since I was involved in leather, the tanning industry has been always facing difficult challenges. So, what is new if it has always worked hard and overcame all adversities and uncertainties? I am probably overly optimistic, but the history proves it. Even though, new environments are going to require new efforts, and solutions that worked in the past are not a guarantee for the future. Environmental regulations present difficult challenges for the tanneries, but other challenges come from administrations, brands, the automotive industry, and even consumers influenced by media outlets with questionable interests. These challenges and other ones that we can’t foresee now will have to be faced and addressed head-on. Many shortsighted people can’t see that exchanging leather, a byproduct of the meat industry, for plastic replacements made from petrochemicals is a bad deal for the earth and everything that lives there. It is our task to educate them.
It is clear that new materials can work better than leather for specific purposes. We have known this since the beginning of the textile industry. However, leather is a unique material that can’t be replaced in all areas. Nobody wants woolen boot soles or leather socks. I am sure that the path towards a circular economy, the demand for natural products, the valorization of by-products and durable items fit into a world that already suffers from pollution and global warming”.

How do you see the near future of the tanning industry?
“I believe that in a few years the tanning industry will be restructured. In recent decades it migrated to countries with low production costs. Today, tanning technologies have evolved, especially in the reduction of odors and pollution. The market has become much more demanding, requiring tight control of the price and the quality of raw materials. All these factors, plus the volatility of international transportation prices, may make the industry return to more developed countries. That is my vision”.

What are the technical challenges?
“From a technical point of view, I believe that there are two challenges that the leather industry will face soon, or maybe now: first, while it is important to remind the public that tanneries take advantage of a by-product derived from the meat industry, there is no denying that leather manufacturing also generates a lot of waste. We need to develop a rapid response for improving wastewater loads, valorization of solid waste starting with collagen, and improving the compostability of finished articles so that they can return to nature in the form of fertilizers for agriculture or other applications. The second challenge, and no less important, is the reduction of chemical products used in the manufacture of leather, especially those synthesized from petroleum derivatives. Biotechnology already plays an important role, and many alternatives are now viable with natural products.
At a commercial level, this industry has always been cyclical, going from “boom” to “bust” with depressing regularity. I think these cycles are going to be shorter and will have an impact on the business”.


In your message at the beginning of the year, you announce the need to stimulate international research and the training of young people. How do you plan to do this?
“As I already mentioned, in the next two years we will review and improve the IULTCS commissions, including the IUT (training) and the IUR (research). These commissions will meet soon to establish an action plan. Encouraging young scientists to enter the leather industry is one of the most important functions of the IULTCS, and I will do all that I can to continue that outreach. For years, we have been mentoring and awarding young scientists by initiatives such as the YLGS thanks to the generous collaboration of member and no-member companies. We will always be grateful for this sponsorship. We will continue supporting global collaboration between our experienced members, international research centers, industry partners and emerging talent to ensure as seamless a transfer of knowledge as possible. The training of tannery staff is essential for the proper development of the industry, both in the technical aspect and in the safety and hygiene framework. Collaboration with institutions such as UNIDO, Universities, and Technology Centers will be very important in the coming years and their training programs must be recognized by the IULTCS”.

One of the big problems in the sector is the fake news spread on social media. Can this phenomenon be countered from a scientific point of view?
“As I have said before, leather is an irreplaceable material and positive communication is necessary to make sure the public knows what is leather and what is not leather. Leather comes from a natural and renewable material, made by a complex structure of fibers, fibrils and protein chains that form the collagen. This provides leather with properties incomparable to other materials, such as its physical resistance and breathability, among others. Its beauty, softness and touch obtained in tanneries cannot be compared with any other material. Leather can only come from the skin of animals that provide us with food. Use of the word of “leather” to other materials imply that they have the same properties as leather, and this kind of disinformation needs to be combatted.
Therefore, yes, scientific arguments should be used to counter fake news. As an example, the determination of C14. Some IULTCS members have been working on these tests that demonstrate that many of the materials wrongly named leather are not biobased or derived from renewable resources but from petrochemistry.
We also can measure and point out the environmental impact on landfills if hides and skins were not processed in the tanneries and make the case that leather is a natural storage unit for biogenetic carbon.
But in the end, I must insist that the best strategy to counter fakes is to positively promote leather and leather products. IULTCS and its members should always be available to support the industry”.


What role can IULTCS play in promoting responsible practices along the leather value chain?
“In fact, this is the whole aim of the IULTCS, because scientific innovations and knowledge exchanges are unthinkable if they do not entail, at the same time, substantial improvements in responsible practices. Our congresses and regional and national conventions include more than just tanneries and chemical or machinery suppliers. Every link of the leather value chain is invited to participate actively in such events. Many members of the associations in the IULTCS participate or are members of many organizations like LGW, LN, SLF”.


The next IULTCS Congress will be held in Lyon (France) in September 2025. Has the main theme/title already been decided?
“First, I would like to recognize the great success and organization of the last 2023 XXXVII IULTCS Congress in Chengdu. The organizing committee has started to work on the preparation of this important even and they will shortly communicate what the congress will focus on. Lyon is a magnificent place to hold the 2025 XXXVIII IULTCS Congress and I would like to invite the readers to collaborate and participate. With the involvement of the AFICTIC and the CTC I have no doubt of a new success for the IULTCS”.

Joan Carles Castell, new president of IULTCS
Joan Carles Castell at the last International Congress in Chengdu, China

Giovanna Ceolini will lead Assocalzaturifici until 2027

Giovanna Ceolini, who was confirmed as President of Assocalzaturifici by the Assembly of associates held on 7 March 2024, will remain in office as President until June 2027.

“A challenging job awaits us. We must respond to a difficult economic situation, in a geopolitical framework dominated by uncertainty, with initiatives and projects that support our companies on international markets. Today, more than ever, it is important to put the interests of the sector and therefore our Association back at the centre”.

Flanking the President, Giuseppe Baiardo, Vice President for Training and Orientation, Luisa Benigno, Vice President for Business Culture and Production Strategies, Giuseppe Camerlengo Vice President for International Affairs, and Valentino Fenni Vice President for Russia, C.S.I. Area, and Made in Italy.

Ceolini highlighted the most salient aspects of her programme, from internationalisation, to continue to promote footwear Made in Italy in the world, consolidating mature markets and seeking new opportunities in emerging ones, to collaboration with leading technical institutes and vocational schools to encourage generational turnover.

Other objectives include the valorisation of subcontracting companies, better known as CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organisation), to defend the traditional craftsmanship of Italian manufacturing.

Among the projects in the pipeline are the reorganisation of MICAM’s pavilions, the strengthening of the MICAMX area, with a focus on seminar content, the section dedicated to the retail of the future, communication and events.

One more plant in the Silvateam forest for natural tanning

THOMAS LAMPARTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF WET-GREEN, ANTONIO BATTAGLIA, DIRECTOR OF THE BUSINESS UNIT  LEATHER OF SILVATEAM, ALESSANDRA TACCON, ECOTAN® PROJECT DIRECTOR.

It can be called a visionary partnership. Silvateam S.p.A., world leader in the production of plant-based tannins, is the new majority owner of wet-green GmbH, pioneer of the patented wet-green® technology for Olivenleder®, after acquiring the company from MB-Holding GmbH. A strategic alliance that becomes the benchmark for sustainable innovations in the leather industry.

Silvateam S.p.A., with over 170 years of experience in tannin production and leading the way in leather innovation with the Ecotan® brand, and wet-green GmbH, a revolutionary company in eco-friendly tanning solutions, are together setting a new standard in leather manufacturing. This partnership sends a clear signal to the industry: the future lies in sustainable, plant-based solutions.

Silvateam core capabilities in the supply chain and production of plant-based extracts will allow Olivenleder® tanning agent manufacture to be streamlined for the required scaling up in leather making process.

Olivenleder®, known for its 100% bio-based tanning agent wet-green® OBE, being the 1st and only Cradle 2 Cradle GOLD Certified and Dermatest EXCELLENT approved, represents the apex of sustainable tanning technology and ideally complements Silvateam’s bio-circular Ecotan® range. Significantly, Olivenleder® is considered a “Game Changer” in wet-green’s activities, introducing a vegetable-based pre-tanning agent that, for the first time in the history of the leather industry, allows to produce vegetable-tanned nappa-like, soft and rapid to produce leather. This breakthrough symbolizes a synergy of time-tested methods and revolutionary innovation, with Olivenleder® crowning their joint efforts for eco-conscious actions.

“The third way for the tanning world, on which Silvateam has long invested, is further strengthened by the acquisition of Olivenleder® – highlights Alessandra Taccon, Ecotan® Project Director. This allows us to offer the widest range of formulations, including the new Ecotan® Advanced line with olive tree tanning agent. The strength of Silvateam’s experience and its global supply chain will enable us to optimize the production of olive extract directly at origin, in Italy, making the system even more accessible to brands, from fashion to automotive. The recipes that we can now propose to the market allow us to obtain highly bio-based leathers with a very soft hand that meet the requirements of the most demanding customers.”

The strategic collaboration brings a significant advantage to the market: the combined use of Ecotan® and Olivenleder® will enable brands to build strong green credentials using both certification labels, culminating in the industry’s highest standard available for sustainable leather products. This integration of technologies and certifications underscores the partnership’s commitment to setting new benchmarks for environmental responsibility and best practices in the leather industry.

Being sustainable does not mean giving up being on trend, as demonstrated by the showroom area set up in the Silvateam booth at Lineapelle where the tanneries displayed their latest products, beautifully tanned Ecotan®.

Antonio Battaglia, Business Unit Leather Director at Silvateam, states: “One more plant is added to our forest. This partnership represents a turning point for the entire industry. We are setting new standards and demonstrating that sustainable tanning technologies are feasible, and more importantly the only way forward. Olivenleder® added to Silvateam full range of wet-end products will allow an unprecedented ability to innovate in sustainable leather technology. Complementing our product range helps us better serve the fashion, accessories, automotive and furniture worlds.”

Ecotan®, known for its low environmental footprint and superior quality, offers a range of eco-friendly tanning methods, including high performance plant-based tanning and chrome-free and GTA-free wet-white tanning. Ecotan® is the first bio-circular leather technology, 100% free of metals, that makes a recyclable, healthy and nature-inspired leather tanning possible. wet-green® OBE, meeting the requirements for a biocircular leather, perfectly complements the Ecotan® system.

Thomas Lamparter, Partner and Managing Director of wet-green GmbH, explains how the success of the 100% bio-based pre-tanning agent wet-green® OBE made of by-products of olive growing e.g. leaves, pruning, pomace and olive mill wastewater came about: “The first recognitions were gathered in the automotive world, working with some of the most important brands in the sector e.g. BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen and Skoda. Then, we went on to serve the big fashion brands, such as Hermès, Hugo Boss, Armani and Patagonia. For example, Vitra and Carl Hansen & Son are offering their customers Olivenleder® for their upholstery.”

“Thanks to the synergy with Silvateam, we want to offer the opportunity for more and more brands to work with tanning systems that are as environmentally friendly as possible. Just think that by recycling all the by-products of olive growing found in the Mediterranean (where 90% of the olive oil on the international market is generated) we could cover 100% of the global tanning.”

With this partnership, Silvateam S.p.A. and wet-green GmbH set a new benchmark of innovation toward a more responsible future in leather manufacturing.

Ecotan® Advanced

This is the proposal of innovative tanning solutions 100% bio-based that adopt the same bio-circularity concepts applied by the now well-known Ecotan® system.

To the many tannins already present in Ecotan® solutions, olive extract is now added.

Brands and tanneries now have the opportunity to use the best and most appropriate sustainable solution for tanning their leathers.

All the products proposed by Ecotan® Advanced are selected and processed by Silvateam in Italy, in its headquarters. Thanks to its extremely specialized supply chain, the company can optimize the production processes to the maximum, making the system even more renewable.

 

Sneark®, the sneaker made in Italy that is sustainable thanks to Ecotan®

With a particular passion for footwear, to which he even dedicated his degree thesis, architect Lello Romano devised an emerging brand, Sneark®.

In collaboration with the renowned Tuscan footwear district, a symbol of Made in Italy excellence, and several Ecotan® tanneries, the brand has created an innovative line of sneakers using natural, biodegradable and environmentally sustainable materials.

www.sneark.it


OEKO-TEX®: building trust through transparency

To achieve its goal, OEKO-TEX® takes measures to foster scientific insight and innovation within the leather and textile industry, and the international association’s 17 Research and Analytical Institutes work closely with manufacturers to develop high-quality leather products at all stages of the value chain.

OEKO-TEX®’s global industry vision is, therefore, a great added value for brands, manufacturers, retailers and consumers. The association focuses, in particular, on transparency and traceability, which is reflected in the growth rate in 2023 of the OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN product label: in fact, compared to the prescribed period, the labels issued increased by 52 percent. MADE IN GREEN is a traceable product label for all kinds of textiles and leather products that have been manufactured in responsible facilities under safe and socially responsible working conditions. It also reassures consumers that the product is tested for harmful substances.

One prerequisite for MADE IN GREEN is that the product is certified according to the OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD. ​This is an internationally standardised testing and certification system for leather and leather goods at all production levels. The certification supports companies along the supply chain with the implementation of high human-ecological product safety. The OEKO-TEX® criteria catalogue is updated annually to comply with international regulations such as REACH.  

Vibram Strat-X, to revolutionize the construction of uppers

Vibram is introducing Vibram Strat-X technology, an innovation designed by the company to radically transform the conventional approach to the construction and customization of shoe uppers. Vibram Strat-X is an innovative material, a thin sheet that through an advanced molding process allows the creation of the upper and/or technical or fashion covers in a single step while maintaining the high quality of Vibram rubber. The rubber sheets, with different finishes and thicknesses, allow the creation of a wide range of elements: strength, lightness, robustness, elasticity, waterproofing and versatility emerge as key features of this new concept, adaptable to a variety of applications. The two finished products LB214 and Luxury Rubber Boot, presented at Pitti in black the former and in blue the latter, are two examples of different applications of this process that generates two distinct types of construction. With LB214, Strat-X technology acts as a protective shell offering waterproofing and protection. The Luxury Rubber boot, on the other hand, combines quality and comfort, resulting in a unique and original look for all occasions. The Strat-X technology used for the upper, is characterized as a lightweight and comfortable material that is as soft as leather, but maintains the high-quality performance standard of Vibram rubber.

Italian footwear industry still weak in 2023

Giovanna Ceolini, president of Assocalzaturifici, comments on the fatigue of the Italian footwear industry encountered in 2023 as follows: “The year that has just ended had an undulating trend for the Italian footwear industry. The brilliant performance of the first quarter, with double-digit increases in exports and turnover, was followed by a gradual slowdown. The 2024 is showing worrying signs at the start, and we expect a further slowdown at least in the first half of the year. A conjuncture determined by the difficult international scenario, dominated by geopolitical events and risks, and restrictive financial conditions for families and businesses.”

Among foreign markets, France is confirmed in first place (+17.3% in value and +1.1% in quantity on January-October 2022), whose figures also include the return flows of production carried out in Italy by French luxury multinationals. The selection process among companies continues (with a heavy -5.3% between industry and handicrafts), despite the resilience in the number of employees (which marks +1.8%, although still below 2019 pre-Covid levels and down in the last quarter).

The Italian footwear sector, thanks to favorable results in the first part of the year, closes 2023 with turnover at €14.6 billion, weakly up on 2022 (+0.9%) supported by exports, which stand at €12.8 billion (+1.1% in value). The trade balance is good (5.8 billion, +7.3%), but Italian household spending (-1.5%) and especially the volumes produced (which cancelled out the recovery of 2022 returning to 148 million pairs, -8.6%) and those exported (-10.6%), in significant contraction.

Discover everything about footwear components and technologies at Aysaf

The 70th International Exhibition for Footwear Materials, Components, Leather and Technologies AYSAF is preparing to bring together manufacturers from all around the world with the cooperation of the umbrella organization of the industry, the Turkish Footwear Industry Suppliers Association AYSAD and Artkim.  

The largest exhibition of Eurasia and the second largest exhibition of Europe in its industry, AYSAF is planning to open its doors with more than 350 companies and is expected to be visited by over 15,000 sector professionals from more than 80 countries. Within the scope of the exhibition, the latest innovations in shoe sole systems, heels, leather, artificial leather, textiles, metal and plastic accessories, chemicals, adhesives, machinery, equipment, and production technologies are waiting to be discovered.

AYSAF, one of the most comprehensive and largest B2B trade platforms of the global shoe sub-industry, opens the doors to new and productive business connections. Visiting the exhibition means to be at the heart of all developments, new products and technologies in the sector.

The AYSAF Exhibition that will be enlivened with exhibitions, special trend areas, sectoral panel sessions, AYSAF Talks conference program will once again act as a bridge between producer and buyer.

Micam and Mipel with other fashion fairs draw positive balance

Closing figures for the four events dedicated to fashion and accessories, which were presented simultaneously at Fieramilano (Rho), thanks to international incoming, showed good performance, a tangible sign of stability at a difficult time for the economic situation.

MICAM Milano, MIPEL, The One Milano and Milano Fashion&Jewels welcomed a total of 40,821 trade visitors, 45% of whom came from abroad. In particular, from the European Union, France, Germany, Spain and Greece recorded the best performance; from non-European markets positive results from Japan, China, Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom. 

Once again, the will to work as a system and present to the market together won.

Despite the positivity conveyed by the numbers, the atmosphere among the aisles and in the booths did not turn out to be the best. The outlook for the semester remains difficult mainly because of warehouses still well stocked with products from past seasons and because of the great indecision and tight budgets of buyers.

Also inaugurating the events was the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, a presence that further underscored the importance of trade fairs as a tool for the promotion and internationalization of Italian companies.

During these days in the pavilions, not only business was in the air, but also the desire to innovate: in all the sectors represented, in fact, strong efforts are being made for a renewal of production processes with the introduction of digitization and the latest technologies. But this forward thrust does not nullify, indeed strengthens, a tradition rooted in craftsmanship, which is still alive in all the sectors represented by the events.

Another great moment of shared intent is that of training: workshops and educational and informative moments were organized at all the events, in many cases involving young people, who represent the future, and schools, an indispensable bridge to the world of work for the new generations.

With this edition closed, we are already looking forward to next September, always from a supply chain and system perspective: the appointment is from September 15 to 18, 2024.