Italprogetti, Leaders in the ecological transition

Under the visionary leadership of Engineer Mario Serrini, Italprogetti has experienced steady growth, enlarging its business and diversifying its target markets. Its experience in engineering polypropylene barrels, automation systems and water treatment has made the company a reference point in the design and renovation of tanneries. A highly qualified sales team, supported by an international network of agents, attentively follows clients around the world, guaranteeing impeccable pre- and post-sales assistance. The technical department, the core of the company, includes some twenty-five engineers specializing in various fields: mechanics, aeronautics, chemistry, electronics, electronics and robotics. Their commitment to research and development allows Italprogetti to offer innovative and sustainable solutions that combine tradition and cutting-edge technology, meeting the needs of the ever-evolving fashion industry.

Italprogetti has an enviable tradition of innovation, with over thirty patents filed and two new ones coming by July. This milestone confirms the commitment of the company to constantly improving its processes and products, anticipating market challenges and setting a benchmark for quality and excellence. With more than 40 years of experience and a constant drive for innovation, Italprogetti looks to the future with passion, ready to take on the new challenges of the tanning industry and enhance the value of Made in Italy in the world, as its founder Mario Serrini tells us.

Roots and innovation: Italprogetti has a long history in the machine building industry. Could you tell us about the origins of the company and how it has evolved over time to remain at the forefront of the industrial landscape? How do you combine tradition with technological innovation?
“I can say that we have had a truly extraordinary history. Having been born and raised a few meters from the tannery of my grandfather, I developed a deep passion for this industry and for mechanics in general from an early age. When I attended the engineering faculty in Pisa, I knew the local workshops well and often worked with them. One of these workshops produced molds for plastic objects, the transmission gear of the old drums had a cast iron structure and the teeth were made of wood. I had the idea of building a mold to produce plastic teeth and replace wood; it wasn’t a simple thing but in 1976 a friend of mine and I decided to invest our savings in this business and built the first mold. At the beginning it wasn’t easy because the tanners were hard to convince, then with the evidence they understood and the production of plastic teeth took off. In 1977 we therefore created Italprogetti, there were two of us: I was a mechanical engineering student, he was an electronic engineer. It was a long road from a plastic detail to the entire drum: in the end, however, with the polypropylene drum we managed to revolutionize the entire sector. In the 1970s, as the tanning sector faced growing environmental problems, we took the opportunity to broaden our scope of action. In 1978 I participated as a consultant in the creation of the Cuoio-Depur Consortium; I had no experience in the field but, thanks to the collaboration with experts such as Prof. Clonfero, we managed to develop cutting-edge solutions for wastewater treatment and water purification. These experiences have allowed us to establish ourselves as technological leaders in the field of sustainability. Our innovative vision and our commitment to developing new technologies make us have allowed at least one patent to be filed per year, both in the field of purification and in that of mechanics for tanning processes. We have established fruitful collaborations with universities and research centers, which have allowed us to carry out cutting-edge projects, such as the first plant for the production of biomethane from leather waste which took place as early as 2007. Today, almost 20 years later, we are proud to have become an international leader in sustainable technologies in the tanning industry. Our solutions, such as the polypropylene drum, have become a market standard. This success is the result of our passion, constant commitment to innovation, industrialization of patents, and ability to seize opportunities offered by market changes.”
What are the main strategic priorities and initiatives your company has undertaken to face sustainability challenges in the industry?
“Sustainability is well rooted in the DNA of our company, already in the 80s we worked with Prof. De Simone of the Leather Experimental Station and with Prof. Clonfero on essential projects for the reduction of chromium consumption and for the recovery of residual chromium. In 1985 we built the centralized chrome recovery plant in Portugal, which is still working today. We have always tried to promote saving water, energy and chemical products in the tanning sector and, to be honest, it has not been easy to explain it to tanners. We are therefore keeping on investing in technological innovation to find new solutions that allow us to reduce the consumption of these critical resources. We are participating in high-level European research projects, aimed in particular at the use of new raw materials and the identification of more sustainable tanning and retanning techniques. We are able to offer our customers cutting-edge products and services in terms of environmental impact and above all we are well aware that innovation and sustainability are key factors to guarantee the competitiveness and long-term growth of our company.”
What are the most significant projects Italprogetti has worked on in recent years?
“We are extremely proud of our decades-long commitment to sustainable innovation at Italprogetti. Since the 1990s, we have been actively collaborating with prestigious universities and research institutes to develop advanced solutions. As previously mentioned, one of our signature projects was the development of a prototype gasifier capable of transforming tannery waste into energy and fertilizer. Back in 2007, we followed another project about the issue of leather traceability, which has now become a standard requirement globally. In addition, we conducted extensive studies to reduce energy consumption in our tanneries, anticipating the requirements of the Industry 5.0 Plan in terms of sustainability. One of our greatest successes was the revolutionary introduction, back in 1995, of the first polypropylene drum prototype, which has now become the world standard. This innovation has achieved drastic reductions in energy consumption and environmental impact on forests. In 2009, another European project “Drums and Energy” clearly explained to the sector what the real energy consumption of the various types of drums are. More recently, we completed the Probios project, in collaboration with Poteco, for the recovery and reuse of finished leather waste. We are also working on the development of a new prototype of low water consumption drum, which could revolutionize the retanning and dyeing processes, resulting in important reductions in the use of chemicals and overall environmental impact.”
What exactly does the Probios project consist of?
“The Probios project represents an extremely innovative and crucial solution to face one of the biggest environmental challenges in our industry. As you are well aware, the Florence-Scandicci area is home to a large amount of leather activity, which generates a frightening amount of tanned leather waste containing chromium and other harmful chemicals. The disposal of this waste has now become a real sustainability issue for all Florentine fashion companies. Thanks to the collaboration with our partner Poteco, the Probios project has enabled us to develop a state-of-the-art process for treating the waste material. Through de-waxing and removal of contaminants, we are able to recover clean leather fiber, reusing it in a variety of ways. In addition, we are able to recycle and reuse most of the other components, such as chromium and chemicals, thereby drastically reducing the amount of waste to be disposed of. We are currently working to industrialize and scale up this innovative technology; I am convinced that this circular solution represents a decisive step toward greater environmental sustainability in our industry, with important benefits for the environment and the local community. We will keep on investing in projects of this kind, demonstrating our concrete commitment to building a greener and more responsible future.”
What is the latest project to date that you are still working on?
“One of our most ambitious and promising research projects is Powertan, carried out in collaboration with BCN Spa Conceria, Chimont International Spa and Politecnico di Milano. This project aims to revolutionize leather tanning and re-tanning processes through the use of innovative technologies such as electrical potentials and ultrasound. Current tanning methods are based on chemical processes that fix products in the leather through a particular pH. However, our goal is to find a more sustainable and efficient approach. By applying specific electrical potential to the leather being processed, we are able to promote better product fixation, reducing the amount of water, energy and chemicals needed. At the same time, we are working on the use of ultrasound during the steps of retanning and dyeing. We are working to provide tanners with drums and tools capable of measuring the LCA, or the environmental impact of the product; reducing the environmental impact of the tanning sector is actually our aim and we are certain that there is wide room for improvement in this direction. The main challenge will be to be able to industrialize and scale these innovative solutions, theoretically all capable of determining a real leap in quality.”

Mario Serrini