The 51^st exhibition of machinery and technologies for the footwear, leather goods and tanning industries is currently in motion (from the 23^rd to the 25^th of September at Fiera Milano Rho). Hosting over 300 exhibitors, this edition is showcasing the future of manufacturing and is organised by the Italian Association of Tanning, Shoe and Leather Goods Machinery Manufacturers (Assomac) as usual.

Contributions to the opening ceremony came from Mauro Bergozza (President of Assomac), Fabrizio Nuti (President of UNIC) and Giovanni Bozzetti (President of the Fondazione Fiera Milano), as well as officials from the European Parliament and the Italian government.

On the first day, discussions were held on the topic of ‘AI, sustainability and competitiveness: shaping the future of footwear’, drawing on insights from the 22^nd UITIC Congress. There was also a discussion on ‘Navigating foreign markets: strategies and tools for business internationalisation’. 

On the second day, a discussion on how automation, robotics and digitalisation support Portugal’s footwear industry took place, subject to the topic ‘FAIST – The strategic alliance that brings people and technology together to innovate the Portuguese footwear sector’. This was followed by a panel on ‘Innovation and traceability to reduce impact: the responsible shift in the leather and footwear sector’. 

As previously announced, one of the central themes of this year’s event is international cooperation, particularly with regard to Africa. Under the theme ‘Exploring Africa, Building Bridges for Innovation and Collaboration’, two sessions were held: ‘Opportunities and growth prospects in the African leather and footwear supply chain’ and ‘Focus on Kenya: alliances and industrial growth in the leather sector’.

On the final day of Simac Tanning Tech, the focus will be on the future of footwear production and the necessary skills. IFABA will present a case study on how it is digitising manufacturing processes through a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), all the while safeguarding traditional artisan values. This will be followed by a session on the SHOE 5.0 Initiative, which will explore how Industry 5.0, augmented reality, and targeted training programmes can provide footwear professionals with the necessary skills for the next industrial era.