NEW WHITE LEATHER

Introduction

The project NEW WHITE LEATHER intends to bring to the market a new concept of leather tanning and finishing, which allows obtaining functional products in light colours - white and pastel colours - based on a cleaner tanning process, with lower pollutant discharges and no dosage of heavy metals and formaldehyde.

With this new concept, it is feasible to develop new, innovative articles, aimed at high added value markets, with the following properties: - Free of heavy metals and formaldehyde; - Obtaining a whiter base colour, compared to similar processes; - High light fastness; - Hydro and oil repellence; - Ability to be easily cleaned.

This New White Leather project intends to implement this technology at INDUTAN company so that they can produce innovative articles in white and pastel shades with this development. The idea is that the company quickly launch the products developed on the market. This type of articles is aimed at a high added value market, such as spring/summer articles for leisure/sport.

Objectives

• To be able to confer innovative and distinctive characteristics to leather, which increase the added value of this material.
• To create new products and optimise the quality of those already produced.
• To reduce costs, by reducing the consumption of water and chemicals, but also related to environmental gains, as a result of this process is less contaminating.
• To increase and consolidate internal R&D capacities, with possible direct job creation.

Outcome of ELIIT project support

Impact (to date):

Projects like ELIIT allows the leverage of innovative ideas as it allows new processes or products with added value to reach the market. It is extremely important the support and monitoring that the ELLIT Project gives, both in the financial aspect and in the mentoring and formation of areas that the partners present the most weaknesses, making possible the rapid introduction of innovations in companies.

ELLIT's support actions are extremely important for this partnership, in particular

• the coaching program tailored to technical or social skills to raise the relevance of projects and increase their capacities
• facilitation of market positioning and professional connections between members of partnerships and other key players through the organisation of networking activities and participation in relevant workshops/conferences and exhibitions
• guidance in intellectual property rights
• financial support for the development of products or prototypes with high added value and profitability.

Partners

SME: INDUTAN – Comércio e Indústria de Peles, S.A.

Country: Portugal
Year of creation: 1993
Background: INDUTAN – Comércio e indústria de peles, S.A., is a company dedicated to the transformation of sheep and goatskin, from the raw state to the finished article, ready to be incorporated into clothing, leather goods and shoes.
More information: company website

Technical provider: CTIC – Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias do Couro

Country: Spain
Year of creation: 1992
Background: CTIC, the Technological Centre of Leather Industries, is an entity of the National Scientific and Technological System, created to technically support the leather industries in several areas, such as product engineering.
More information: company website