Gola: Helping to reduce carbon footprint

Global sportswear brand Gola is headquartered in Rawtenstall, Greater Manchester. A world-renowned heritage brand with iconic design, Gola exports all around the world and has a global distribution network. 

The Gola team was introduced to Manchester Met via the European Regional Development Fund Eco-I project. The project helps small to medium-sized enterprises to identify opportunities for eco-innovation and reduce the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) impact of their operations.  

Through the project, run by Manchester Metropolitan Business School’s Centre for Enterprise, it was identified that Gola’s prototyping process created significant CO2e impacts and was flagged as an opportunity for innovation. Gola linked up with PrintCity, the University’s award-winning 3D printing hub. 

Digital prototypes 

Working with PrintCity, the Gola team has developed and tested the concept of digital prototypes of their shoes, leading the way for a deeper collaboration.  

With PrintCity’s expertise in digital rendering, Gola developed a full, editable digital prototype of their best-selling shoe, Harrier. This innovation is transforming how Gola develops and shares prototypes around the world, with the potential to significantly reduce the CO2e impact of their operations. For the Harrier shoe alone, digital rendering has already saved 66 tonnes of carbon dioxide. That’s equivalent to 180 return flights from London to Glasgow. 

Now, thanks to the collaboration with the Centre for Enterprise and PrintCity, Gola shares digital images of shoe designs with their sales team and retailers worldwide reducing the need for costly production and shipping. 

“Working with Manchester Met has led to direct carbon and cost savings for our business, helping us to drive growth in a sustainable way,” says Donna Hill, Marketing Director of Jacobson Group.

She continues: “The immediate benefit of adopting 3D printing and rendering has been the reduction of our sample development by around ten per cent. Longer-term adoption of the process and implementation has the potential to make an impact across all brands – cutting our sample costs, as well as lead times, freight costs, plastics waste and CO2 emissions.”   

Driving change and business innovation  

Through the short collaboration – Gola and the University have been working together for less than a year – the team are close to proof of concept and looking to develop a Knowledge Transfer Partnership together.

With a KTP, a business employs a graduate who is closely supervised by academic experts to work on a specific project. The KTP with Gola will enable more sustained innovation, supporting the brand through a period of change and the process of adopting digital technology across its global operations. 

Manchester Met is helping to change mindsets and grow confidence in more environmentally friendly digital processes, supporting sustainable business growth and seeing the carbon and cost benefits continue to increase.  

Donna says: “Working with Manchester Met has been transformational in supporting us to advance our sustainable business objectives.

“In just a few short months, the work that we have done with the University has progressed us forward by several years, particularly in the use of digital technology and our journey to becoming a more sustainable business.” 

Sustainability is core to all that Manchester Met does, as the University marks its 200th year. It aims to be a beacon of sustainable development practice by 2030. By working with businesses like Gola, it’s shaping the capabilities and technologies needed to deliver a net zero economy as well as helping businesses reach their sustainability goals.