The adoption of new technologies is becoming a crucial factor in boosting the international competitive-ness of the fashion sectors, promoting both economic and environmental sustainability.

Applying Artificial Intelligence systems and tools to the manufacturing industry means simplifying produc-tion operations, enhancing products’ quality and supporting a better use of natural resources. Also, it is in-teresting to analyse the impact the AI has on the fashion manufacturing industry,one of the biggest source of data generation, which is often gathered but not appropriately elaborated and used.

The application of new technologies to the fashion industries can impact different phases: from products’ design, to demand forecasting, market’s trends anticipation and machines monitoring.

Regarding the application of AI to product’s design, it can produce multiple innovative designs, accelerate the industrialization process, as well as define the personalization of the product based on consumers’ preferences. Moreover, it can offer to the companies the possibility to understand the main needs of their consumer target, enabling them to develop highly customized services.

Additionally, sensors applied to machines can gather real-time data about their performances, analysing them for spotting abnormalities, simplifying production processes, reducing errors, and preventing im-portant damage by signalling the need for preventive maintenance.

More importantly, the application of modern technologies to the fashion industry has an impact on their sustainability performances and competitiveness.

Considering the footwear production alone, there are many different applications of new technologies which can positively change the environmental impact of the sector. To make an example, the introduction of 3D printing rapid prototyping enables companies to evaluate the application of natural or created fabrics, adhering to eco-friendly standard and enhancing durability and recyclability of footwear. 3D printing can also affect the production process, minimizing waste and calibrating raw material usage by defining the exact quantities of material needed. Another example of digital innovation can be the adoption of block-chain technologies to monitor the supply chain and enhancing traceability and accountability of the compa-nies, thus ensuring that consumers can take informed purchasing decision. Furthermore, the possibility of gathering and analysing data can optimize demand forecasting, reducing overproduction (and, conse-quently, excessive use of energy and resources, as well as limiting waste), but also improving warehouse management.

Another fundamental business activity where these modern technologies can be implemented is market-ing. In this regard, digital technologies can impact market analysis capabilities, price establishment, promo-tional channels choice and boosting the relationship between companies and consumers. In this sense, marketing plays a pivotal role in linking companies with the market helping the former to adapt to the changes of the latter. In an increasingly internationally connected world, building the capability of reaching consumers outside the national borders has become a great opportunity, especially for the EU footwear industry, which products are very appreciated by worldwide consumers.

One interesting application of modern technologies linking leather and footwear manufacturers with ma-chines producers is the “ASSOMAC Virtual Showroom”, an immersive tool developed by the Italian Association Assomac¹ and PercLab², a spin-off laboratory of PIN Foundation in Italy.

The project started with an On-line Technology Guide³

Through its partnership with PercLab, a pilot digital project was developed to transform the On-line Technol-ogy Guide into The Virtual Showroom accessible via VR headsets.

The Virtual Showroom is an innovative experience designed to present the association's machineries range, covering the leather, tannery and footwear categories. Through an immersive virtual environment, users can explore and interact with the machines produced by members, designed to represent the sector's technolo-gies in an unbiased manner and without brand preference. The added value of this tool lies in the user's ability to see the progress of the operation carried out by the machine itself, experience a more realistic per-ception, and enjoy a result that closely resembles what one would experience by walking inside a produc-tion company.

Looking ahead, the goal is to create a multiplayer environment where users and manufacturer technicians can interact in real time.

The project implementation and expansion is still under development.. With its evolution, the Assomac website could be used as a digital showroom showcasing not only of individual machines but also of the entire production process of tanning, leather goods, and footwear.

The impact that digital technologies can have on the footwear sector and, more in general, on the fashion sectors is immense. They affect the way products are designed and produced, how machines can be moni-tored, how the supply chain can be managed and how companies can reach potential clients all over the world. The results of the application of these technologies improve companies’ results, facilitates consum-ers choices, and support environmental performance and sustainability.