On September the 24th and 25th, 2024, one of the most important events in the international footwear industry opened its doors: the DESMA House Fair.
Alongside 56 international co-exhibitors, the Prüf- und Forschungsinstitut Pirmasens e.V. (PFI) presented its extensive expertise to over 750 guests and exchanged ideas with international industry representatives.
As part of the trade fair program, Dr. Achtel provided insights into the regulations of the EU Green Deal:
“The EU Green Deal poses major challenges for the footwear industry, but also offers exciting opportunities. Our presentation here at the Desma House Fair highlighted the complexity of the regulations and showed that they affect everyone.”
The topic of training was also strongly represented.
Mr. Eichhorn, Head of the International Shoe Competence Center (ISC), emphasized:
“The Desma House Fair offers a great platform to present our further training offers in the shoe sector. The response to our seminars and training courses was consistently positive.”
Ms. Vijselaar, Head of the Physical Laboratory, highlighted the importance of physical product testing:
“The fair was an excellent opportunity to underline the importance of physical product testing. The visitors were impressed by the wide range of testing options we offer.”
In product development, Mr. Schultheis, head of the engineering department, was able to refer to a long-standing collaboration with Desma: “
Our long-standing collaboration with Desma shows how important innovative strength is in the footwear industry. The trade fair has once again highlighted how crucial research and development are for sustainable product solutions.”
A particular highlight was the awarding of the PFI-eco label to DESMA. Dr. Schulte, Director of the PFI, presented the certificate to Klaus Freese, Managing Director, and Harald Kleinschmidt, Quality Manager at Desma:
“The award of the eco label to Desma is a significant step for the company. The eco label confirms that DESMA actively contributes to climate protection, promotes the transition to a circular economy, protects ecosystems, improves energy efficiency and uses renewable energy. The Desma House Fair is the ideal place to celebrate this success together.”
The PFI will continue to expand its research, development and sustainability activities in the future to support the footwear industry in developing sustainable and innovative products. Participation in the DESMA House Fair was a resounding success, further strengthening PFI's position as a leading research institute for the footwear industry.