UNIC takes part in the Italian Leather Research Summit 2026
The participation of UNIC – Concerie Italiane in the second edition of Italian Leather Research Summit 2026 (held at the SSIP headquarters in Pozzuoli on June 30) served a dual purpose. It provided a platform to showcase the organization’s commitment to innovation and research, while also offering the opportunity to sign the Regional Skills Partnership for Leather. The Italian Leather Research Summit is organized by the Italian Leather Research Institute (SSIP) to bring together public and private stakeholders interested in the development of the leather supply chain. “This summit is a very important, indeed essential, annual event,” commented Fulvia Bacchi, director of UNIC, CEO of Lineapelle and vice president of SSIP. “It reinforces the understanding that our tanning industry, while already a global leader, must maintain that position through innovation and research.”
The voices of the entrepreneurs
“Innovation is a frontier where the Italian tanning industry still has room for development,” says Giovanni Russo (Russo di Casandrino), vice president of UNIC and president of Lineapelle. “SSIP is the ideal partner for Italian companies: it is an expanding organization and a companion for the challenges ahead.” “In recent years, we have built an ecosystem that has achieved significant results,” notes Graziano Balducci (Antiba tannery), president of SSIP and honorary president of UNIC. “An event like this summit plays a vital role in transferring valuable research findings to Italian companies, which already excel in innovation and sustainability. Collaboration is the right path forward.”
The signing of the partnership
As previously mentioned, the Regional Skills Partnership for Leather was officially signed during the summit. This initiative falls within the framework of the European Pact for Skills and the TCLF Skills Alliance; it aims to build a skills ecosystem capable of supporting the supply chain as it navigates the challenges of industrial transformation: namely sustainability, innovation, digitalization, and generational renewal. The signatories (pictured from left) were: Fulvia Bacchi, Andrea Ricciardiello (director of Time Vision), Giovanna Ceolini (president of Assocalzaturifici), Edoardo Imperiale (general director of SSIP) and Elena Salvaneschi (director of AIP). “This agreement solidifies a model of stable collaboration between public and private stakeholders,” stated Serena Iossa, operations director at SSIP. “The goal is to transform skills into a genuine competitive factor for the future of the supply chain.”
