Gerede tanning cluster continues to thrive
While the Gerede tanning cluster near Ankara, Turkey, used to exist in the shadow of the Istanbul tanning sector, it has now become firmly established in its own right.
Around 80 tanneries are active in the area, and collectively they produce around 40% of the shoe upper leather produced in Turkey.
One of the reasons the cluster has thrived so well is its collaboration with Abant Izzet Baysal University, which has prompted rapid development in the area in recent years. The university has continued to provide training for leather and footwear workers as well as scientific research and development support. The university has opened up its laboratory and testing facilities to leather and footwear workers and provides guidance in terms of modern production methods.
There are high hopes for the ongoing collaboration which reflects successful partnerships between universities and tanning clusters in India and China over the last 20 to 30 years.
