Micam Milano Event in Tashkent
MICAM in Tashkent, Focus on Central Asia, Training and New Connections for the Italian Footwear Sector. MICAM Milano: “Crafting Global Connections,” the event held on May 20 in Tashkent, dedicated to strengthening the dialogue between Italy and Uzbekistan within the footwear industry. This initiative has further confirmed MICAM Milan’s international positioning at the intersection of business, education, and the development of emerging markets.
MICAM Milano has strengthened its internationalization strategy by focusing on Central Asia, with an initiative organised on May 20th in Tashkent at the Tashkent Turin Polytechnic University. The event, titled “MICAM Milano: Crafting Global Connections,” has brought together local operators and industry stakeholders for the presentation of the 102nd edition of the international footwear trade show promoted by Assocalzaturifici, consolidating the industrial dialogue between Italy and Uzbekistan. Recognized as a leading global platform for high-quality, innovative, and sustainable footwear, MICAM continues to affirm its role in the international footwear business, with over 1,000 exhibiting brands and more than 20,000 buyers attending each edition.
During the event, a scholarship program developed in collaboration with Arsutoria, the Milan-based school specialized in footwear and leather goods training, was also presented. Two young Uzbek designers were selected for dedicated training programs in design and manufacturing techniques, with the aim to strengthen creative and industrial skills in the local market.
The initiative was carried out with the support of ICE Agency – Almaty / Tashkent office – and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, within the MICAM Academy project, a platform dedicated to promoting the culture of Italian footwear manufacturing among younger international generations. Local partners in the project included the Uzbekistan Agency for the Development of the Light Industry and the University of Textile and Light Industry, within a broader context of collaboration between education, industry, and innovation.
“The initiative in Tashkent confirmed MICAM’s role as a bridge to emerging markets,” stated Giovanna Ceolini. “Uzbekistan represents a rapidly growing area for Italian footwear imports and an increasingly important market for the footwear sector.”
According to data processed by the Confindustria Accessori Moda Research Center for Assocalzaturifici, the Uzbek market is emerging as a fast-growing destination for Italian-made footwear: Uzbekistan and the whole of Central Asia together import more than €62 million worth of Italian footwear (2025), with Uzbekistan alone purchasing Italian shoes worth €12.4 million, marking a 189.8% increase over the last five years, compared to +125.6% for the entire Central Asian region.
The event formed part of a broader strategic initiative supporting the internationalization of the fashion and leather supply chain in emerging markets. With “Crafting Global Connections,” MICAM strengthened its positioning as an international platform for footwear, reinforcing the link between business, education, and market development, while deepening industrial relations between Italy and emerging countries such as Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is in fact already home to major investments promoting the Italian fashion and leather supply chain, including the establishment of a Technological and Training Center developed by ASSOMAC in collaboration with the Fondazione Politecnico Internazionale per lo Sviluppo Industriale ed Economico and other industry associations such as ACIMIT and UCIMU.
Image Micam Milano Event in Tashkent by the brand. PR Agency Guitar PR Milan.