Industry News
Jeanologia Celebrates its 30th Anniversary with the NextGen Summit: A Kick-Off for Future Initiatives.
by Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, Senior International Correspondent
At its founding date, the 13th of March, Spanish Jeanologia SL celebrated its 30th anniversary with the NextGen Summit. The Summit brought together leading denim manufacturers under one roof. With a significant representation of global production, the Summit served as a platform to inspire, motivate, and empower the next generation of leaders from family-owned businesses in the denim industry, equipping them with the necessary tools to tackle future challenges with a sustainable, technological, and collaborative vision.
Held at Jeanologia’s headquarters in Valencia and other key textile industry locations in Spain, the event was a pivotal meeting point where future leaders exchanged ideas and knowledge with brands and industry experts. For the first time, the sector’s leading companies gathered to discuss the industry’s future, addressing key challenges such as sustainability, digitalization, and automation.
The NextGen Summit program included diverse formats designed to maximize learning and interaction. It featured inspirational talks where industry leaders from the denim business shared their experience and vision, with a special focus on generational transition; interactive workshops exploring innovative solutions for industry challenges; and open debates fostering dialogue among key players in the sector.
One of the standout moments of the event was the keynote by Bart Sights, the head of Innovation at Levi’s, who inspired participants with his disruptive vision and industry trajectory. From his early days working alongside his father as a supplier to his current role leading innovation at one of the most influential denim brands, Sights emphasized the importance of bringing bold ideas to the table. His message encouraged and inspired everyone to embrace change and leverage new technologies to accelerate transformation.
Behind the scenes at Mango
Yet another event highlight: the visit to Mango’s headquarters. The visit was an opportunity for the group to pay tribute to the memory of Isak Andic, the founder of the vertical and global Spanish retailer who passed away in December 2024. During the visit, Andrés Fernández, Mango’s head of Sustainability and sourcing, shared the company's vision, objectives, and action plans for sustainability, sparking a highly enriching discussion for both parties.
Water on the mill of the Jeanologia missionThe flood disaster in the Spanish regions of Andalusia (Murcia) and Valencia (where Jeanologia’s headquarters sites), which began on October 29, 2024, costing the lives of hundreds of people and causing massive destruction, including to infrastructure, is likely to have given Enrique Silla, CEO and founder of Jeanología, additional motivation for the initiative that was launched with the NextGenSummit. Jeanologia intends to communicate and share the innovations that have been pioneered by innovative technologies on a broad basis.
After all, modulations by researchers such as the World Weather Attribution (WWA), affiliated with Oxford University in the UK, now show, taking all the complexity into account, that the current warming of 1.3 – 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial times has made heavy rainfall in the south and east of Spain twelve percent more intense as a result of a particularly destructive drop of cold air known as “gota fría.” This may not sound like much, but it differentiates between heavy and deadly rainfall.
Jeanologia headquarters in Valencia/Spain.
Disruptive technologies to enable sustainable denim fashion finish
With Jeanologia’s transforming innovations for textile process solutions and operating models such as laser, ozone, and zero-water technologies, the SmartBox, furthermore e-Flow andWith Jeanologia’s transforming innovations for textile process solutions and operating models such as laser, ozone, and zero-water technologies, the SmartBox, furthermore e-Flow, and the latest DigitalWash concept, where the eDesigner software connects laser designers with wash developers. The latest DigitalWash concept is where the eDesigner software connects laser designers with wash developers. The Spanish company, over the decades and with its current international presence, proves that reducing water and energy consumption, eliminating damaging emissions and discharge while enhancing productivity is feasible. Founded in 1994, by today the company holds a total of 112 patents. For more information, visit jeanologia.com.
Produce lo que vendes - Produce what you sell:
With its range of machine and system solutions, Jeanologia defines itself as a facilitator of on-demand manufacturing.
Jeanologia's 30th anniversary: The NextGen Summit as the start of a long-term initiative. “We have created a community where future managers and movers can exchange ideas and knowledge with brands and industry experts,” said Pepa Silla Casanova, Strategic Projects & Brand Manager.
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