Innovation Outlook 2025: AI, robotics and sustainability

The September 2025 edition of Simac Tanning Tech drew some common threads: the future of footwear and leather goods is not just a question of speed (read automation), but of intelligence and sustainability.

Among the stands, a sector emerged that is embracing the digital transition with unprecedented concreteness, focusing on machinery capable of transforming production into a fluid and connected ecosystem.

The first major trend concerns Artificial Intelligence applied to vision. We are no longer talking about simple sensors, but about machines that ‘learn’. Advanced systems capable of recognising leather defects in a matter of seconds, classifying them and suggesting the optimal placement to drastically reduce waste. Cutting tables equipped with ‘superpowers’ have been presented: soon, operators will be able to interact with the software even through voice commands, combining irreplaceable artisan experience with the precision of the algorithm.

Robotics has taken a further step towards total flexibility. Automatic gluing and carding systems now adapt autonomously without the need for machine downtime or costly reprogramming. It is interconnected automation: platforms have been created that network data and operators, ensuring total traceability through RFID systems and integrated X-ray quality controls.

Sustainability is the other fundamental pillar. It manifests itself both in materials – with new recycled and bio-based polymers – and in processes. Chemical-physical expansion technologies for polyurethane allow for extreme lightness with unaltered performance, while the transition to fully electric machinery guarantees, in some cases, energy savings and the abandonment of hydrocarbons, in line with the Industry 5.0 philosophy.

Finally, attention to people closes the circle. From new cyclone extraction systems for cleaner air to machines designed to allow seated working, Simac 2025 tells us that technology is now the best ally for healthier, more precise and more environmentally friendly work.