On Wednesday, 18th September it was my pleasure to attend the formal opening of the Institute for Creative Leather Technologies’ (ICLT) new facility located at the University of Northampton’s Waterside Campus. The facility boasts new laboratories and teaching facilities, equipping the ICLT with the tools needed to deliver world class leather education and research.
The ICLT is a unique research and education centre which allows us to understand and refine new and traditional leather processing techniques in order to expand the possibilities of how leather can be used. By having this new facility here in Northampton we are further enhancing our town’s global reputation as a world-leader in the leather industry. I was told that this is the only facility of its type in the whole of Europe.
I am proud of the fact that our town has been the home of UK leather manufacturing for many years and it is great that we are building on this with the new £5.5 million 27,000 square foot facility.