A delegation from the Cádiz town of Ubrique was in Igualada this May to visit Leather Cluster Barcelona, coinciding with the spring edition of the REC.0 fashion festival.

The Ubrique party was made up of Pepe Montiel and Manuel María Enriquez, president and secretary of Asopiel (Asociación de Empresarios de la Piel de Ubrique), Cristóbal de Piña and Javier Gallego, president and manager of the leather technology centre Movex, Eusebio Romero, president of Alep (Asociación Empresarios de la Piel de Prado del Rey), Belén Cazalla, head of administration at the Confederación de Empresarios de Cádiz, and Silvia Linares, project officer for the Diputactiva programme of the Cádiz Provincial Council.

The purpose of the visit was to explore synergies and possible collaborations between the two clusters, in areas ranging from research and innovation to sustainability, the circular economy, training and promotion.

The town of Ubrique has a long tradition in the leather goods sector and over the years has brought together a significant number of companies specialising in the production of leather bags and other leather goods for the leading international fashion brands, above all in the luxury segment, forming a genuine leather manufacturing cluster.

On the arrival of the Ubrique delegation in Igualada, an official reception was held at the Town Hall hosted by the second deputy mayor, Patrícia Illa, and the councillor for economic development, Jordi Marcè.

During their intensive stay, the Cádiz business representatives visited the La Gaspar Municipal School of Art and Design, the A3 Leather Innovation Center at the Igualada Campus-UdL, the Cal Granotes museum in Igualada and the Adoberia Bella, headquarters of the cluster, accompanied by Xavier Badia, Jordi Vidal and Mònica Santamans of Leather Cluster Barcelona.

At La Gaspar, a centre whose aim is to launch the new Higher Vocational Training Degree in Leather Sculptural Techniques, Raquel Camacho and Ester Comenge, director and deputy director, forged training alliances with the Ubrique cluster, regarded as a benchmark in cutting-edge craftsmanship.

The representatives of the Ubrique leather goods cluster also took advantage of the fact that their visit coincided with the REC.0 fashion festival to hold a meeting with the organisers in order to explore synergies and possible collaborations.

Leather Cluster Barcelona is an environment of competitive cooperation for promoting cross-cutting, transformative strategic projects with the aim of driving forward the ecosystem of the Catalan leather sector. The cluster is an accredited body within the Catalonia Clusters programme and has the support of Acció.