中文Assomac Bets on Egypt’s Robbiki Leather City with New Training Pact
Italy is deepening its foothold in one of Africa’s most ambitious leather projects. At SIMAC Tanning Tech in Milan, Assomac — the Italian association of leather, footwear and tanning technology manufacturers — signed a training agreement with Egypt’s Leather Technology Training Centre (LTTC). The goal: equip the next generation of Egyptian tanning technicians and knit Robbiki Leather City more tightly into global supply chains.
Robbiki is already an Italian showcase
The numbers tell the story of how central Italian technology already is to the Egyptian project. Around 90% of the technology currently used in the production workshops at Robbiki Leather City is “Made in Italy.” That is not a coincidence; it is the result of years of deliberate industrial diplomacy.
The new agreement builds on a €6 million Italian Cooperation programme supporting Robbiki’s development through infrastructure, training, technology transfer, technical assistance and skills development. In practice, Assomac and LTTC will develop joint training programmes for technicians and young professionals, and conduct research into new tanning processes and more sustainable chemicals.
A study tour that turned into a partnership
The signing did not happen in a vacuum. At SIMAC Tanning Tech 2026, Assomac hosted an Egyptian business and institutional delegation for a study tour focused on the leather and footwear supply chain and related technologies. The visiting group included representatives from Egypt’s Ministry of Industry, the Leather Technology Training Centre, and Cairo for Investment and Development — the bodies steering Robbiki’s future.
Mauro Bergozza, President of Assomac, framed the deal as a continuation of a long-term strategy rather than a one-off. “Our established work in Egypt confirms the value of a sustained presence in these markets and of collaboration with local partners,” he said. “This is the direction in which we wish to continue investing: making Simac Tanning Tech an international platform that is increasingly capable of connecting demand, technology and businesses.”
Why Robbiki matters
Robbiki Leather City is central to Egypt’s plan to move from exporting raw and semi-finished hides toward a vertically integrated, higher-value leather and footwear cluster. For decades, the country’s tanning base was associated with environmental and efficiency challenges; Robbiki is the state-backed answer — a consolidated, modern district designed to lift standards and capture more of the finished-product margin.
Italian machinery and chemical suppliers are natural partners. They bring the equipment, process know-how and training systems that a new industrial district needs to reach export quality. In return, they secure a beachhead in a market with low labour costs, proximity to European and Middle Eastern markets, and strong government backing.
The next phase: footwear
The agreement is explicitly a first step. A second phase is dedicated to developing footwear production at Robbiki, with the aim of creating a dedicated footwear manufacturing area and expanding integration opportunities across the supply chain. That is significant: footwear is where the real volume — and the real competition with established hubs like Vietnam, India and Turkey — will be tested.
The bigger signal
Assomac’s move is part of a broader Italian pattern. The same association recently signed a three-year pact with Latin America’s ACCAL, and it maintains a global footprint of technology-export initiatives. Italy is effectively exporting its tanning and footwear ecosystem, one training centre at a time.
For the leather industry, Robbiki is worth watching. If the Italian-Egyptian formula delivers skilled technicians and competitive finished output, it could reshape sourcing maps across Europe, Africa and the Middle East — and give Italy a durable channel to stay relevant as a technology and knowledge exporter even as its own manufacturing base consolidates.
Source: Leather News
