ECOSYSTEM
The Igualada leather ecosystem
Tanneries, infrastructure, schools and museums in a single creative district
The leather ecosystem in the Rec of Igualada
For seven centuries, the Rec district has concentrated tanneries, trades and innovation around the craft of leather. It is a unique territory where the value chain can be walked on foot, directly connecting tanning companies with scientific research, talent training, environmental-management infrastructure and the preservation of the sector’s historical memory.
This operational and geographical integration is the differential value that Leather Clúster Barcelona projects to global markets. In a hyperconnected environment, the physical proximity between factories, laboratories and decision-making centres guarantees global brands solid standards in environmental compliance, security of supply and technical responsiveness. A leading industrial hub in Europe that keeps the Catalan leather fabric at the forefront of the needs of contemporary design and fashion.
THE INDUSTRIAL FABRIC
Companies across the value chain
Leather Clúster Barcelona represents a business fabric of over 85 members spanning the entire leather value chain in Catalonia: from livestock farming and the food industry to specialised chemicals, tanneries, artisans and fashion houses.
It is the sector’s reference collective, defined by its clear export orientation.
This geographical and operational integration enables technical flexibility and industrial responsiveness. Companies share resources and knowledge, shaping a robust production model that guarantees the traceability, control and quality standards demanded by the international fashion and luxury market.
CLUSTER HEADQUARTERS
Adoberia Bella
Adoberia Bella is a historic industrial building, restored as the official headquarters of Leather Clúster Barcelona and the European Interpretation Centre for Quality Leather.
This central infrastructure houses the materials showroom, collection samples and certified rooms for creative and technical meetings of the sector.
The building works as an open space where designers, technologists and artisans meet to test materials, discover the district’s flagship product and activate commercial synergies. A collaborative environment that gathers the legacy and memory of the sector from the heart of the Rec district of Igualada.
APPLIED SCIENCE LABORATORY
A3 Leather Innovation Center
The A3 Leather Innovation Center, part of the University of Lleida (UdL), is the cluster’s technology partner.
The centre develops R&D&I projects in which different links of the sector take part jointly, driving applied science to meet the technical and sustainability challenges of today’s industry.
The laboratory’s work focuses on opening up new market scenarios, optimising industrial processes and developing eco-friendly leather goods. Its research is key to reducing the environmental footprint of tanning and improving product efficiency, adding differential value to the whole ecosystem.
SCHOOL OF CRAFT AND TRADE
La Gaspar Leather School
La Gaspar is the leading vocational school in leather design, manufacturing and savoir-faire.
As a space for technical training and creation, the school prepares future professionals, acting as an essential link between the traditional leather craft and the creative demands of brands.
Its work ensures generational renewal and the transmission of artisan techniques to new generations of creators. Through specialised programmes, the school equips young talent with a practical foundation of excellence, guaranteeing the evolution of the sector without losing its manufacturing identity.
UNIVERSITY TRAINING IN LEATHER
UdL University Campus
Since 1958, Igualada has been home to an internationally renowned university centre specialising in leather that has trained students from over 40 countries.
The new University Campus has 6,000 m² of facilities next to the A3 Center, offering engineering, master’s and doctoral studies.
With a 90% employment rate, its graduates become experts in Quality, R&D, Purchasing and Production around the world. The centre stands out because students train in permanent contact with the companies, laboratories and infrastructure of the cluster itself.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE
IDR Treatment Plant
The wastewater treatment plant of the IDR company jointly manages the sanitation of 28 tanning companies in the district.
It is a pioneering infrastructure in Europe thanks to its biological treatment, financed and operated collectively by the sector itself as a pillar of its environmental policy.
The application of the best available techniques has cut both water consumption per unit produced and its pollutant load by 50% over the last twenty years. This transparent management model optimises economic and environmental resources, making the local industry fully competitive.
HISTORICAL HERITAGE AND CULTURE
Leather Museums of Igualada
The Leather Museums preserve and share the history of tanning in Catalonia, documented since the year 1079.
The site comprises the Museu de la Pell, which displays the industrial evolution of machinery, and Cal Granotes, a former tannery from 1763 that preserves the pits of artisan tanning.
As the only museum tannery in Catalonia, this heritage site acts as a bridge between the historical legacy and the contemporary projection of the sector. Its preservation work provides a narrative of cultural prestige and territorial identity that serves as inspiration for the Rec district.
