Icap-Sira Chemicals and Polymers S.p.A: chemical innovation at the service of industry, between sustainability and advanced technology.
The chemical industry is one of the most important sectors of the world economy, as it is responsible for the production of a wide range of products that we use on a daily basis. Among the many companies operating in this sector, one of the most interesting is Icap-Sira, with headquarters in Parabiago and plants in Barberino del Mugello, Casorezzo and San Mauro Torinese. Icap-Sira is a company dedicated to the production of chemicals for various industrial applications. Founded in 1946, the company has a long history of innovation and development of advanced synthesis products and formulations. With a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, the company has adopted a series of sustainable practices in all its production processes, reducing the environmental impact of its operations and products. Strengthened by its various production sites and equipped with a modern research and development laboratory where researchers are constantly working to develop new products and improve existing ones, Icap- Sira also collaborates with universities and research centres to keep up to date with the latest developments in the field of chemistry. The ability to combine ingenuity and creativity with a constant focus on regulatory developments and market demands is the key to its success in this sector; success that is reflected in the ability of the company to generate value through the conception and development of new solutions, realised through collaboration with suppliers and technology partners that are part of its innovation ecosystem. These collaborations enable it to take advantage of the latest technologies and knowledge in the industry to offer innovative products. We spoke about the constant quest for product innovation and sustainability at the heart of the Icap- Sira philosophy with Stefano Lori and Anita Barni, respectively Head of Sales Business Unit Textile and Leather and Director of Sustainability and Innovation.
Sustainability is one of your focuses: what projects are you working on?
“In the case of our range, we have dedicated ourselves to the formulation of new products, using raw materials from renewable sources instead of oil derivatives. This strategic corporate choice has been extended to all our business units, including our leather business unit, where we have developed a series of acrylic and polyurethane products that can replace the traditional fossil-based products used for leather finishing. We have retained the typical names of our products, such as ACRILEM® for acrylic polymers and IDROCAP for polyurethane polymers, while adding the abbreviation Eco to identify the range of products from renewable sources. Thus, IDROCAP ECO® and ACRILEM® ECO contain a percentage of raw materials from renewable sources. Our polymers are different from conventional polymers because most of the raw materials we use do not have a direct alternative from a renewable source. However, we have selected a raw material supplier that guarantees us a percentage of direct renewable source for the production of our leather products. We have decided not to work with Mass Balance but to offer our customers products for which it is possible to certify the amount of carbon from a renewable source with a C14 analysis, which guarantees the direct supply chain. This was not a limiting choice because we worked with our suppliers, some of whom also made raw materials directly for us, at our request. Obviously, we have chosen commercially available raw materials to produce our products, not limiting ourselves to an abstract idea but industrially producing four-five acrylic products and as many polyurethanes. Our choice allows us to offer sustainable products without compromising the quality and effectiveness of our products.”
What are the advantages of these new products over traditional ones?
“The main advantage of our choice to use raw materials from renewable sources is their careful selection. That is why we decided to develop these products. In some cases, our products are exactly equivalent to traditional ones from a technological point of view, so there is no risk of compromising performance. Substitute products offer the same technological characteristics as traditional products and, in addition, guarantee the use of raw materials from renewable sources. This is a central issue, as product performance is essential. There is no technological risk for the customer and switching to this type of product is zero risk. Customers do not have to carry out tests, as the switch can be made 1:1. In the case of acrylics, often there is no chemical difference when replacing traditional products with those from renewable sources. For polyurethanes, on the other hand, the products can be very different chemically. However, we have carefully selected raw materials to ensure that our products are of high quality on a technological level. In some cases, we have even found raw materials with improved technological characteristics, such as greater resistance to hydrolysis. Polyurethanes produced with raw materials from renewable sources perform even better than polyurethanes produced with traditional raw materials, in particular those based on polyester which tend to be better also from the point of view of resistance to hydrolysis compared to products from fossil sources.”
What type of feedback are you receiving?
“We have already had some of our clients try them out and they have not experienced any difficulties in the tests they have carried out”.
Are you in contact with companies that use it more for the fashion or automotive sector?
“We are currently more present in the furniture and automotive sector, but our developments will be aimed at all markets. Our product range can be used across the board, both in leather goods and footwear. There are no limitations for their use, which allows us to offer sustainable solutions to a wide range of customers and industries.
Do you think these types of products will be better received in Italy or abroad?
‘Potentially everywhere.
How is the approach to sustainability reflected in the mission of your company?
“Our company’s mission can be summed up in these words: for us at Icap- Sira, doing chemistry means enabling inventiveness and creativity, allowing our customers’ ideas to be transformed into concrete solutions. We are committed to ensuring that our recipes – innovative, sustainable and used in many daily applications – guarantee business continuity in a changing world.
ICAP-SIRA has carried on a process of remodeling its range of products to meet the current sustainability needs but also with the intention of anticipating what will be the future requirements related to the use of resources and the end of life of the finished products. We also believe it is essential to obtain certifications from third parties that can guarantee the truthfulness of what we communicate and the transparency of the approach. For example, we have embarked on the process of certifying the carbon footprint of our products and are currently completing the process of measuring the organization carbon footprint.
Our goal is also to evaluate the product life cycle, from origin to customer application, to verify if some technologies are more advantageous from the point of view of carbon emissions than others. We try to work across the supply chain, not limiting ourselves only to our specific process, but also taking into consideration the customer’s to verify which technology has the best features throughout the value chain.”
This puts you in a position to establish very close cooperation with companies, correct?
“Exactly, that is what we want to do. In fact, as a type of company, we usually develop products specifically according to client requirements, which is now in our DNA. However, the push towards sustainable products is requiring a deeper collaboration with both clients and suppliers. As I have already mentioned, there are suppliers who are developing raw materials tailored to our requirements, and this is definitely a big achievement, as the companies we work with are often much bigger than us; doing co- development work with a company like ours is something new for them and an unexplored path that we are starting to take. At the moment, we already have several completely new raw materials in house, developed by our partners in response to our requests, with which we are going to develop industrial products. We want to be pioneers in this area.”
What is the biggest challenge in pioneering this?
“The big challenge is to be ready when the turning point comes. Even if everyone in the sector, more or less, is starting to take this path, the market is not yet ready for economic issues. However, we are convinced that the future lies in this direction, even in the medium-short term. When the big fashion companies make the strategic decision to switch to bio-based products, we must be ready. The products must already be tested and approved.
Another challenge is also to interpret future trends in an extremely confusing period like the one we are living in, in order to be ready when we start. For a company like ours, driving the complete workforce around a single project is complicated. The important thing for us is to be able to acquire enough know-how and have a number of product lines ready to be developed in a more focused way. We need this in order to be prepared for the time when everything will move much faster.”
There is a feeling that this is undoubtedly the trend: now the big players in the automotive industry, who were a bit sceptical in the past, are pushing towards sustainable products. It’s no longer just a fad or research for its own sake, as it was until recently, when there was a lot of talk about it but then no one came close. Now, however, the trend is exactly this.
“What up to now could have been considered a trend has become a matter of business. Sustainability and related issues can no longer be considered as separate from the economic and financial context. Environmental and social issues, which were once considered “nice-to-have” or a matter of corporate philanthropy, have become essential for companies. In 2022 we drafted our first sustainability report, before it became mandatory. It will become effective for our company in 2026, because we believe it is important to bring these issues into the corporate discussion and strategy before they are obligatory. We have decided to act in advance to ensure that sustainability becomes an integral part of the corporate strategy.
The directive mandating sustainability reporting is targeted as early adopters at financial stakeholders, making it clear that this is a business issue. The materiality analysis has completely changed its face: the principle of double materiality effectively introduces financial issues in association with impacts on the environment and society. Ultimately, sustainability is no longer a “nice-to- have”, but a necessity for business.”
Stefano Lori, Head of Sales Business Unit Textile and Leather
Anita Barni, Director of Sustainability and Innovation