The Experts’ View: Innovation In An Ancient Industry: Leather industry veteran Mike Redwood and Modern Meadow CEO David Williamson explore how innovation is reshaping the leather industry.
To explore what this future might look like, we sat down with two experts who bring deep but distinct perspectives. Mike Redwood has spent a lifetime in leather, managing tanneries around the globe and shaping the next generation of experts through his work at the University of Northampton. Joining him is David Williamson, CEO of Modern Meadow, a pioneer in biofabricated leather. Together, they explore how innovation is reshaping the leather industry, why new materials like INNOVERA™, formerly BIO-VERA®, are gaining traction, and what it will take to bridge centuries-old craftsmanship with cutting-edge science.
What does innovation look like in an ancient industry like leather making?
Redwood: Product innovation is a complex thing that can apply to many different parts of the industry. It's important to remember that leather isn't just a single material. Many different types of leather can be produced that require different raw material, different parts of a hide or skin, and different processing: all tailored to specific applications. Often, this is where innovation comes into play. For example, when the horse became a main form of transportation, the leather industry adapted to produce new leathers specifically designed for saddles, for harnesses, reins and other equine requirements as they evolved over the centuries. When the industrial revolution came along, they again made a new range of leathers for textile rollers, industrial belting, various leathers for railroad trains, fire hoses, and many other products.
Each of these innovations were driven by societal advances that forced the industry to adapt. We're now in a similar time of cultural upheaval and the industry once again needs to adapt. But we're not dealing with an industrial revolution or the domestication of horses. We're dealing with a market that is now dominated by cheap plastics, whose low prices and mass production capabilities have been squeezing the leather industry.
We're now seeing the effect plastics have on the environment. Because of that, plastics need to be forced out, despite heavy lobbying from fossil fuel interests. But leather alone cannot achieve this; it needs a new partner.
This is where we have an opportunity to be innovative: tanners would do well to adopt a new material that allows them to be creative and develop really interesting things while growing into new markets.
Williamson: I agree, innovation in leather making can take many forms. I believe one really promising way to be innovative is to reimagine the building blocks of the raw materials that tanners use. At Modern Meadow, we engineer the leather alternative INNOVERA™ to offer tanners new canvases to work with. This next-generation material is customizable at the molecular level which opens many doors for tanners.
By designing the material down to the molecular level, we can tailor properties such as durability, flexibility, and even how the material takes on dyes. This allows tanners to apply their centuries-old expertise to an entirely new substrate, exploring creative finishes and textures that traditional leather can’t achieve. It's about unlocking new potential while maintaining the craftsmanship that defines the industry.
Do you see biofabricated leather as being additive or competitive with the leather industry?
Williamson: Next-generation materials, such as biofabricated leathers, are not here to replace leather but to expand the possibilities for the industry. Consumer demand is shifting towards sustainable and ethical materials, and leather alternatives like INNOVERA™ allow tanneries to meet these new expectations while maintaining quality. It opens doors to markets that prioritize animal-free or lower-impact materials—think of vegan fashion or automotive interiors aiming for lower carbon footprints. This isn't competition; it's an opportunity for tanneries to innovate, diversify, and tap into growing markets that demand performance without compromise."
Redwood: I also don't see next-gen materials as being threatening, I actually think the leather industry badly needs biomaterials. The industry currently has very limited growth because it's a byproduct from the livestock industry. The maximum it's been able to grow over the last 30 years has been roughly 1% per annum. This makes it a very difficult industry to survive in. But next-gen biomaterials can help.
These materials are a new canvas for the tanner.
I think a lot of tanners are frightened of biomaterials because they fear it will be a competitive material, like plastics. But I think those who fear it are missing the point. First, materials like INNOVERA™ can help to fill up all the tanneries in the world that are struggling to get hides. And, as Dave said, these materials are a new canvas for the tanner. An adjacent material where the tanner’s skills will add value. If they view it with an open mind, they take it in and start experimenting with it, I think they'll discover they can make a new gamut of end products. And, I think the tanners could have real fun with that.
What properties or characteristics should a leather alternatives have to be successful in the leather industry?
Williamson: For leather alternatives to succeed, they must not only match but also surpass the performance of traditional leather while maintaining its aesthetic appeal. This means achieving high tensile strength, durability, and resistance to tearing—qualities essential for leather’s long-standing reputation. But, beyond strength, the material must also capture the sensory experience of leather: its feel, scent, and even the subtle sound it makes when handled.
At Modern Meadow, we design our materials with precision, emulating the natural protein structures found in leather while also creating opportunities for future innovation. One area of development that excites me is enhancing our INNOVERA™ material with functionalities that are difficult or even impossible to achieve with traditional hides. While nature is an extraordinary innovator, our ability to engineer within a protein-based scaffold allows us to introduce new fibers and properties that will bring unexpected benefits to consumers.
After a decade of research, we've developed a deep understanding of how to balance chemistry and structure in these materials. Now, we’re entering an exciting era of creative exploration—where we can merge these elements in groundbreaking ways. Our goal is to honor the legacy of leather while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, creating materials that are both familiar and transformative. I think that will surprise the consumer and delight them.
Our goal is to honor the legacy of leather.
Redwood: Dave is very right in pointing out that you can't just make something that looks like leather and be successful. Obviously, material properties like tensile strength and durability matter, and are vital in some end-uses like military gloves and belts. But aesthetic qualities—like look, touch, feel, sound—also matter. It is difficult to define and measure these, but they really do matter.
Another property that I think is often overlooked is the way the material fits into the existing market ecosystem. INNOVERA™ is nice because it serves as a raw material, but the final product is produced by tanners. This gives tanners an opportunity to both be creative and make a bit of money doing it. Other products don't offer the same thing, they're just made in a chemical plant, and it cuts tanners out of the market. Materials that give tanners a seat at the table and help them participate in a growth area are more likely to be successful.
This gives tanners an opportunity to both be creative and make a bit of money doing it.
What are the major barriers that prevent tanneries and downstream brands from adopting biofabricated leathers?
Redwood: The first thing we're going to need is for tanners to let go of the mindset that ‘anything that isn't leather is wicked.’ But then we’ll also need to give tanners materials that not only perform well, but help the tanneries deliver better products to their customers.
I've seen some promising materials fail on their way to market because they can only be made in one color (like black), and the cost of production was prohibitive. Luxury companies looked at these shortcomings and said, 'the price is difficult, but having only one color is impossible to overcome.' And that was the end of those materials—the market said no, and it was too difficult to make them better.
Modern Meadow is unique in this respect. For one thing, INNOVERA™ can be endlessly recycled regardless of the material's color. And its durability and strength clearly match and better standard leather. So, you've got a lot of pluses there. As of this moment, I don't see many other really serious competitors to Modern Meadow, and none that will work so closely with the tanneries.
Williamson: Mike makes a good point: meeting the market’s needs is paramount. Scalability and consistency are the two of the biggest hurdles that I think materials stumble over that prevent them from fulfilling these needs. Brands and tanneries need materials that can seamlessly integrate into existing production lines—a concept known as 'drop-in' technology.
We designed INNOVERA™ to fit into current tannery workflows, minimizing the need for new equipment or retraining. Additionally, ensuring supply chain consistency is crucial for large-scale adoption. There is a great Harvard Business Review article by Ron Adner and Rahul Kapoor on innovation ecosystems that highlights the importance of plugging into existing infrastructures rather than disrupting them entirely. Our goal is to provide tanneries with a material that doesn’t just sit alongside leather but complements and enhances their product offerings without logistical headaches.
Do you think we’ll see large-scale adoption of biofabricated leathers anytime in the near future? If so, where do you think it will start?
Redwood: I do, I think biomaterial adoption will lead to quite a bit of excitement over the next few years. There are a lot of opportunities to capitalize on the environmental disaster that is now being recognized with plastics. And as I’ve said, the leather industry needs a partner to help it grow and innovate again. If tanners think it through, putting a new material like INNOVERA™ in front of tanners should be like pressing a green button.
Williamson: I completely agree, we will absolutely see increasing adoption of biofabricated leathers in the coming years. We're already seeing momentum build, and I believe sectors like automotive and footwear will be the first to scale these materials. Automotive interiors, for example, are under immense pressure to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining luxury and performance. INNOVERA™ is uniquely positioned here, offering the durability and aesthetic appeal required, alongside sustainability credentials that align with consumer and regulatory demands. As more brands adopt leather alternatives—specifically those that have been biofabricated—we expect a cascading effect across fashion, furniture, and beyond.