Innovation outlook 2024: Technological innovations for the footwear and bag industry.

The Innovation Outlook project is a report on the latest edition of Simac Tanning Tech, which helps both those who attended the event and those who could not participate to stay updated on what was presented during the fair days.

According to Treccani, a renowned Italian encyclopedia, the word of 2024 is “Respect.” Therefore, we wondered what the most inclusive term could be to signify the commonly traveled path of technological evolution observed at Simac Tanning Tech 2024, within the leather, footwear, and leather goods industries.

This is why there is a question mark accompanying the word Automation in the title. In a historical/economic moment filled with uncertainties, but perhaps this would also be the case in a time of vitality, it is difficult to identify a single reference trend. There are many different paths being taken, including sustainability, for instance.

However, the attempt to bring automation into as many production processes as possible is a constant that you will find in many of the highlights we present in this special report. The reasons? The need to keep costs low, an area where competition is increasingly ruthless and often pressures producers; a market that demands speed and consistent quality; and the ever-growing shortage of labor, particularly skilled labor. All these factors lead to viewing automation as a possible lifeline, which we could now better define as a means of resilience.

Yet, that question mark remains, not only to preserve the multitude of research and development paths underway but also because automation does not yet seem to be the optimal solution in every case. This will be addressed in the next issue of Arsutoria by the CEO of a major company:

Designers still need production flexibility to fully develop their ideas. They require different solutions to achieve a final result that is still related to creativity and attention to detail, which a machine does not always manage to provide.