Northampton Uni ties up leather project
The University of Northampton will work with the UK Leather Federation (UKLF) to provide education, skills and branding.
The UKLF, which represents the interests of an industry worth £800m in the UK, unveiled the plans at the House of Lords.
According to the university, it is already the only one in the UK to offer leather-related degrees and industry-recognised skills training.
It already has an on-campus tannery, which was recently upgraded with an £800,000 investment co-financed by the Leathersellers' Company.
Professor Nick Petford, vice chancellor of the university, commented: “The university and its forebears have delivered high quality education and training in leather technology, in Northampton, for over 100 years.
"We are developing novel and innovative models of course delivery to meet the professional development and employment needs of the industry.
"Our Institute for Creative Leather Technologies builds on this tradition and descends directly from the Leathersellers' Technical College established in Bermondsey in 1809.
"The university will continue to be a global leader in education and research for high quality, efficient and effective tanning and manufacturing which is environmentally sustainable, and committed to reducing its carbon footprint."
