From 27 July to 1 August, Osaka and Tokyo hosted an institutional mission led by Edoardo Imperiale, Director General of the Stazione Sperimentale per l’Industria delle Pelli (SSIP), Italy’s leather industry research centre, and Board Member of MICS (Made in Italy Circolare e Sostenibile). During the mission he held high-level meetings with Japanese institutions, research centres and industry representatives.
Held as part of Expo 2025 Osaka and the programme of B2B meetings promoted by Promos Italia and Regione Campania, the mission was a strategic opportunity to present MICS’s work in support of fashion and sustainable Made in Italy. Particular attention went to the SOLARIS project, coordinated by SSIP, which aims to develop innovative technological solutions for circular materials and processes in the fashion sector.
Meetings with leading Japanese leather and fashion organisations – including the Hyogo Federation of Tanners’ Cooperatives, the Tokyo Leather Technology Center, the Japan Leather and Leather Goods Industries Association (JLIA), Bunka Fashion College and the J4CE circular economy platform – revealed strong interest in the sustainable innovation and traceability models promoted by MICS.
These contacts have opened up new prospects for industrial and scientific cooperation, particularly in research into alternative and circular materials, the development of new skills and the definition of shared standards for quality and sustainability.
“Japan is a strategic partner for Made in Italy. This mission confirmed Japan’s interest in and willingness to collaborate on circularity and technological innovation. The SOLARIS project and MICS’s activities are a concrete model for building a more sustainable future for the fashion sector together,” said Edoardo Imperiale.
Building on this experience, MICS is raising its international profile and positioning itself as a go-to platform for collaboration between Italy and Japan, bringing together research, business and institutions for an increasingly circular and sustainable fashion industry.
