Pranem: how technology and sustainability revolutionise the Work&Safety sector
Prato, a city renowned for its textile tradition, is the beating heart of Pranem, a company at the forefront of the footwear sector. Founded with the aim of combining sustainability and innovation, the company has made environmental responsibility its main mission. What makes Pranem unique is its commitment to promoting the use of reclaimed fibres and the recycling of textile processing waste. Through rigorous selection and meticulous processing, Pranem transforms waste materials into articles for linings, midsoles and insoles. This sustainable approach not only reduces the environmental impact, but also contributes to the creation of high quality products. In recent years, Pranem has intensively dedicated itself to the development of new solutions for the Work & Safety sector. Thanks to a team of highly qualified researchers and designers, the company has developed innovative materials that guarantee superior comfort, durability and safety in tough and demanding working environments. The combination of sustainable fabrics and cutting-edge technology has enabled the company from Prato to create components that combine functionality and style, meeting the needs of professionals in various sectors. Pranem represents Italian excellence that combines sustainability and innovation in the work footwear sector and demonstrates that it is possible to create superior quality products without compromising the environment. With its dedication to sustainability and innovation, Pranem stands as an inspirational model for companies in the sector, demonstrating that industrial progress and environmental protection can go hand in hand. We enter into the heart of the interview with Pranem CEO Gabriele Diddi.
What was the outcome of the last edition of Lineapelle for you?
“I would say that I am moderately satisfied. The markets are all down, some more than others, but that is a fact. We no longer breathe the air of a year ago, when everything was growing and developing. There is a lot of caution. On the other hand, in the first two days we had a great turnout of interested and focussed customers. This is positive, at least for my products, which are technical and not fashionable. We are not affected by the great fluctuations in fashion. Ours is a more structural market, with slower growth even in downturns. We hope to maintain this trend.”
How do you deal with the complexity of the market?
“First of all with effective communication. It is increasingly difficult to talk to customers, because they have always less time and are always busier. That is why we try to have new products, new ideas and new input. We develop innovative solutions that allow us to understand the needs of clients, their demands and their ideas for the future. In this way, we can calibrate our products to their ever-changing needs.”
One of your flagship products is Fus Revolution, the conductive barrier film fabric that is perfect for making polyurethane injected and removable fussbeds. How is it performing?
“Fus Revolution has become my main product: it has been working well for three years now and is expanding to other clients and markets. My target market is midsoles and insoles for all types of footwear. Over the last few years, I have focused on safety in all aspects, such as conductivity and anti-staticity. We meet all standards for both the midsole, insole, footbed cover and linings. We are developing three-dimensional conductive fabrics and, of primary importance, we have introduced the ecological aspect. All our non-woven fabrics are made from recycled fibres, but a fundamental distinction has to be made…”
What kind of distinction?
“Our materials are made from recycled fibres, but it is important to make a distinction between pre-consumer and post-consumer. Pre-consumer materials are those that are derived from processing waste, such as fibre production waste, yarns, filaments and fabrics. These materials would otherwise be discarded. Post-consumer materials, on the other hand, are those derived from end-of-life textile products. These materials, which would otherwise go to landfill, are reclaimed and transformed into new midsoles. The ecological and environmental value of post-consumer materials is very high, as material waste is prevented and waste is reduced. Our Multicolour product line is made from post-consumer materials. In this way, we are able to offer a sustainable and high-quality product.”
However, to be able to do this requires investment, research, technological innovation, a huge commitment in short…
“Undoubtedly. I mentioned Prato because it is the home of recycling and therefore, thanks to the technological know-how we have, it has become possible. It is clear that processing these types of fibres is not easy, you have to know how to do it and have the right technology, also because they change constantly. In fact, one of the characteristics of Multicolour is precisely that the colour changes: each production batch changes colour according to what is on the market. This is true sustainability because the environmental impact is minimal.”
You presented it for the first time at the fair: what feedback did you receive?
“There is a lot of curiosity. In terms of performance, there is no difference to traditional products. However, it will take time to convince customers. Technical products have a fairly low economic impact on the finished product, but a high technical impact. If, during construction, the midsole has problems, tears or breaks, damaging the entire sole, the reaction is easy to imagine. Therefore, on the one hand there is curiosity, but on the other hand there is also some fear. Seeing a recycled product can make one think that the performance is inferior. It will take time to make people understand and try the material, to show that in fact nothing changes and that it works. This is legitimate, but we are confident in what we have created and we will prove it over time.”
How do you intend to prove to your future customer that the performance of these types of articles is exactly the same as that of traditional ones?
“Mainly in two ways: we perform a series of laboratory tests to measure the resistance of our products to a number of parameters and we build prototype shoes to prove that our products work and are reliable. Moreover, contrary to popular belief about eco-friendly products, our products are also more economical. We believe that these initiatives will help us convince our customers that our sustainable products are a good choice.”
Gabriele Diddi, CEO of Pranem, at the latest edition of Lineapelle
