FLORENCE — Kering is aiming for long-term excellence.

On Wednesday, the French group revealed the launch of the Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze.

Kering chief executive officer Luca de Meo and Pomellato CEO Sabina Belli introduced the initiative in the presence of Sen. Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, at the storied Gucci Archive in Florence. The event was held ahead of Kering’s Capital Markets Day scheduled for Thursday and after the speeches under the exquisitely frescoed salon of the Palazzo Settimanni, a cocktail was offered at Palazzo Gucci, newly revisited by artistic director Demna.

Launching the academy on the third edition of Made in Italy Day, Kering reaffirmed its longstanding connection with Italy and support of its craftsmanship heritage.

“Creativity and excellence are at the very heart of luxury. Preparing for its future demands long-term commitment, shared standards and sustained investment in craftsmanship — deeply rooted in the heritage and savoir-faire of Made in Italy,” de Meo said.

“Our ambition is to empower students to thrive in a dynamic industry that will shape the houses of tomorrow. With the Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze, we are building a platform to nurture capabilities, reinforce excellence and support the evolution of luxury métiers over time.”

Based at the Valore Italia Campus inside MIND—Milano Innovation District, the academy will train the next generation of professionals who will support the sector’s evolution through 2035. The first courses will begin in the first half of September, de Meo said.

Students will be able to acquire traditional skills across ready-to-wear, menswear tailoring, leather goods and jewelry, as well as technology, artificial intelligence and new materials.

The academy will offer training paths ranging from one semester to seven years, with some programs leading to diplomas recognized under Italian law.

Open to both internal and external talents, it will raise the total training capacity to 1,000 people per year before progressively expanding to accommodate at least 2,000 annually.

“Being here in Florence today has a very specific meaning, because of what it represents in our history and for what it continues to teach us. Florence has learned to transform talent in method, inspiration in work, vision in manufacturing,” de Meo said.

He recalled that April 15 being Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday and the Made in Italy Day is “highly symbolic, representing excellence, creativity and vision at the same time.”

The executive said the luxury sector will need around 75,000 qualified professionals by 2035 along the entire production pipeline and across all sectors — from fashion and footwear to leather goods, jewelry, ceramics and more, “the heart of Italy’s know-how.”

The academy will consolidate and strengthen the training initiatives already developed by some of Kering’s houses — including Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Gucci and Pomellato — while relying on a robust network of partner schools and institutions of excellence, including the Politecnico di Milano, Galdus and HModa.

De Meo entrusted Belli with leading the new initiative, and she said that the academy will “offer formidable opportunities for the new generations.” In 2018, the executive spearheaded Pomellato’s high education program Virtuosi Academy with the Milan-based Galdus Goldsmith Academy aiming to train the next generation of goldsmiths and preserve Italy’s craftsmanship and traditions. “Working closely with goldsmiths, I realized how their skills are increasingly rare and that this is a craft you can’t improvise and we risk losing them. Galdus has been incredibly successful, helping so many young talents find their profession for the long-term.”

Belli said “in Kering we want to give a concrete contribution to society. After all what is better than working with beauty and excellence, which gives confidence and creates value.”

HModa is also committed to transmitting artisanal knowledge through the initiatives of the HModa Academy with many offices spread throughout Italy. HModa is a fashion division of the private investment company Holding Industriale, or HIND, which produces for many of the world’s leading luxury brands.

The strength of the Accademia per le Eccellenze “relies on a new model, founded on key pillars, leveraging the existing Kering schools, creating a shared platform of expertise,” de Meo said.

He underscored that the project is “open and inclusive and does not merely respond to Kering’s needs, but is meant to contribute to the development of the entire production system, in Italy and at the international level.”

He cautioned against “nostalgic conservation of a tradition,” rather evolving Made in Italy with a “dynamic and contemporary vision” that looks to the future, making sure that the handmade, artisanal craft is in step with “the power of the new technologies.”