ICE, Assomac, Lineapelle and Bologna Fair have organised an international forum, ‘A Leather Bridge With Africa’, to run alongside Lineapelle, Simac and Tanning Tech at the Bologna Exhibition Centre, Italy, on April 17-19.

The event, which will include 25 delegates from Burkina Faso, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda, will present plans for the establishment of a functioning pilot footwear artisan workshop for the production of finished shoes and will include a an international forum to discuss the relationship between the Italian and African leather sectors and new initiatives to develop skills within the African leather industry.

The main aims of the initiative are the improvement, in both technological and productivity terms, of micro-enterprises and small family-run cottage units and the creation of a model for the funding of micro-enterprises.