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Smart leather: The future challenge for the leather supply chain

 

 

 

The event organized by Assomac - the national association that aggregates and represents Italian manufacturers of footwear, leather goods and tannery technology - and the Veneto Leather District, entitled "Intelligent leather: what brands demand from tanning technology in the new market scenario," was held on Tuesday, December 13, in Chiampo, (Vi). A conference attended by more than 200 entrepreneurs and industry professionals and orchestrated, in the special capacity of speaker, by Carlo Alberto Carnevale Maffè, professor of strategy at the SDA Bocconi School of Management but also a columnist, economic commentator, strategy advisor and board member of numerous national and international companies, including a group specializing in technological systems for footwear and leather goods.

 

The proceedings, opened by speeches from directors Roberto Vago of Assomac and Matteo Macilotti of Distretto Veneto della Pelle, continued with remarks by the vice-president of Assomac, Mauro Bergozza, who introduced the main topic, that related to technology and the value of data, which, together with the product, can become a service for companies in the sector. "I want to ask myself and the entire supply chain a question: how can we organize ourselves to foster the exchange of information, increase networking and relationships between companies and entities? I'll try to give an answer: open innovation must be matched by an open strategy. A game we have to win for the future of our industry." The event continued with a speech by Prof. Carlo Alberto Carnevale Maffè, who focused on the fact that "smart leather has to talk about itself and know how to tell its story, through reliable data and accessible information that must reach the end customer." The data speak clearly enough: 8 out of 10 consumers are asking brands to display sustainability certifications on fashion products, and just as many would like them to be obliged to demonstrate respect for the environment at all stages of the value chain; more than 70 percent of buyers are asking brands for data on suppliers and
raw materials.

 

"The changing world scenario confirms that the parameters for evaluating post-pandemic production activities must also change. We need to put ourselves in a position to analyze and change production methods. This is a necessity that companies can no longer postpone: organizational, training and market changes will have to lead to the definition of new services useful to grow the intangible assets of companies." These were the words of Prof. Carlo Alberto Carnevale Maffè, who, in his conclusions, reiterated how crucial it is to bring all the components of the supply chain into dialogue so that the
reputation of a sector whose excellence is recognized worldwide.

 

"The wide and transversal participation by entrepreneurs and sector operators, the presence and sponsorship of all the associations of reference for the supply chain are important signals for the Veneto Leather District, which sees in aggregation its highest expression and best result," the comment of the president of the Veneto Leather District, Riccardo
Boschetti, at the closing of the event.

 

It was a success for the organizers, who saw in the content and in the solicitations placed on the table a useful moment to make all the players in the leather supply chain sit down together to reason about the new challenges that the macro-economic scenario imposes and will increasingly impose on the segment of leather products leather.

 

Read the other news of December 2022