Week 4 of the Train-the-Trainers programme: visiting Igualada
Friday October 17 saw the conclusion of a successful but intense 4th week of the Train-the-Trainers programme. Participants continued to progress in their respective field-projects, gaining practical experience while observing "live" the outcome of a well-led cluster initiative.
During the training week, a day-trip was organized to Igualada, a mid-sized town in the outskirts of Barcelona, famed for its centuries of tradition in tanning. 20 years ago, however, the city's tanning industry was on the verge of complete disappearance. While many local companies died, some learnt to survive and managed to turn-around their strategy. Today this group of survivors is hugely successful and delivers products to top-fashion designers all around the world.
On that day, participants had the opportunity to ask questions and learn directly from the business owners, workers, and experts who took part in the strategic reinvention of Igualada's tanning cluster.
Spirits were high as participants travelled back home with images and testimonials from a city that has lived the ups and downs of industrial adaptation. From their respective countries they would continue their field-projects and get prepared for the fifth in-class session taking place in Linz, next November.
