Alcantara company, the Italian firm that manufactures and distributes the innovative material marketed under the same name – Alcantara® – was founded in 1972 and it is headquartered in Milan. The magic of its products comes to life near Terni, Umbria, in Nera Montoro, where its large, cutting-edge manufacturing facility is located: the entire production process is marked by sophisticated scientific research, a high degree of automation, and an attentive environmental policy.
Alcantara® has grown into a fundamental component of car design. The interest of the major international car makers in this material has grown through the years, also thanks to the company’s ability to provide tailor-made solutions to specific client needs.
Only Alcantara® can turn a car trip into a real pleasure: anti-static, breathable, anchoring, Alcantara® is now universally acknowledged as the material that combines multi-sensory aspects and attributes such as resistance, comfort and easy maintenance. Its functionality and strength make it perfect for intense use, while its elegance and comfort renew the pleasure of driving every day.
It can cover with prestige and refinement the interiors of any car, also underlining its styling and design and for this reason Alcantara® is selected by the most prestigious car brands who look for an exclusive touch for all their cars.

Design Communication with its subsidiaries Cliff and Propeller, is the largest design firm in Europe. The companies combine a distinct understanding of marketing strategies with expertise in design development and communication.
Desgin Communication focuses on segments such as vehicles, medical and life science, lifestyle, motorcycles, consumer electronics, commercial vehicles, tools and sports. The company offers solutions for vehicles, products, interaction, graphic and surface design, along with visualization, models and prototypes.
The designers have extensive knowledge in each segment and use the latest creative tools and technologies in 2D sketching and 3D modelling. The teams create strong product experiences through all aspects of design and by supporting its clients with concept development, design strategies and design management.
Design Communication also specialises in every stage of model making – clay, volume, verification, fully functioning, fit and flush, colour and trim – as well as show models. The Group has full-scale studios in Stockholm and Gothenburg, equipped with surface plates modelling and measuring machines. Here it offers low-series production, cubing systems, R&D, prototype tooling and rapid prototyping (SLS). Clients are primarily Fortune 500 and other successful companies.

KISKA was established in 1990 by Gerald Kiska as a one-person business and is now one of Europe’s largest and leading design companies. A multinational team of 100+ specialists operate across five disciplines; strategic, communication, environmental, product and transportation design.

It uses the power of Integrated Design Development (IDD) to break new ground in creativity and customer appeal. KISKA combines the most talented people in a multi-disciplinary way to create solutions that deliver profitable results. Successful IDD creates design solutions that communicate the right messages to the right people, consistently, over all brand-relevant media. In this process KISKA synthesises basic market and brand strategic conclusions, the most important elements of the brand, the product, and its environment before developing a coordinated and targeted market response.

Through IDD, KISKA helps its clients to focus on key issues and concepts as well as establishing strong brand directions and strategies. It ensures that every new product that is designed packages key values, addresses users’ emotional needs and leverages market forces. In summary, KISKA designs for its clients success.

Among the clients who trust KISKA for its excellent strategic and design services are AKG Acoustics, B/S/H household goods, Braun, Fischer, Generic motors, Hilti, Honda, KTM, Osram, Siemens, Siteco, Spar and Swarovski.
Awards that KISKA has won include the IF design award, Autovision, ISPO Brand New Award, and the British Lighting Design Award, among others.

Bridge of Weir Leather was founded near Glasgow in Scotland in 1905 and today is the largest producer of automotive leather in the UK.
The company supplies both chrome and chrome-free leather to the following OEMs :
Saab
Aston Martin
Mercedes-AMG
Volvo

Research and development combined with design is key to the company’s success in developing innovative leathers for automotive colour and trim solutions.
Bridge of Weir’s colour consultant researches annually the key trends in leather throughout Europe and these are developed by the company’s technical team into leathers which meet automotive specifications.
For further details please contact :

Dale.wallace@bowleather.co.uk

PDD is one of Europe’s largest product innovation consultancies. With more than 25 years of experience in user research, design and technical development, PDD has brought innovation, technology and creativity to the automotive sector.
In the past 12 months, PDD has won nine awards for excellence in innovation. This reflects its deep understanding of clients’ brands, business strategies and customer needs. The result is meaningful innovation and insightful solutions that translate into competitive advantage.

PDD’s services include cultural trends and analysis, behavioural research, industrial and automotive interior design, as well as technological problem-solving and solution implementation.