Modern Meadow, a leader in bio-design, and premium leather tannery HELLER-LEDER have announced the formation of INNOVERA
Europe, a joint venture bringing large-scale production of sustainable material directly to Europe.
The new entity marks a major milestone in the global growth of INNOVERA, masterfully engineered to replicate the look and feel of collagen found in leather. The material serves premium automotive, apparel, interiors, and adjacent applications.
David Williamson, PhD, CEO of Modern Meadow, said the partnership accelerates the future of sustainable materials through a model designed for global scalability. “INNOVERA Europe allows us to meet growing regional demand while driving faster innovation that delivers real value for brands, tanneries, and suppliers,” he stated.
The expanded partnership brings new innovation opportunities. These include developing performance suede and high-quality crust for full-grain alternatives. INNOVERA is supplied to tanneries as Dry White, a semi-finished material bypassing the most resource-intensive early stages of traditional leather processing.
European production of Dry White is expected to begin in late 2026. A new state-of-the-art facility is being designed to meet regional demand with precision, supply chain resilience, and sustainability at its core.
The facility will benefit global customers through faster product development cycles and enhanced quality and consistency. Increased production capacity closer to European customers will simplify logistics and streamline tariff considerations.
Tanneries will gain reliable, scalable access to Dry White, including ready-made crusts for finishing. They’ll also benefit from improved proximity to European tanning hubs and a more diversified supply chain. Suppliers will experience more predictable demand, with European-based partners seeing expanded opportunities.
Frank Fiedler, CEO of HELLER-LEDER, called INNOVERA Europe a powerful step forward for tanning globally. “By producing this next-generation material in Europe, we gain faster access to high-quality Dry White inputs, reduce supply chain complexity, and strengthen our ability to serve customers,” he said.
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