ICEA, BDIH and IONC formalise their partnership: the first ICEA international Hub opens in Mannheim, Germany

Mannheim, 30 September 2026 – ICEA and BDIH, the German federal association of industrial and trading companies for pharmaceuticals, health products, food supplements and cosmetics, together with IONC, BDIH’s certification company, have presented their partnership.

The announcement was made in Mannheim at BDIH’s 57th Kosmetikfachtagung, the association’s annual cosmetics conference held at ZEW, – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, a Mannheim-based economic research institute and member of the Leibniz Association, in the year BDIH celebrates its 75th anniversary.

Attending the presentation were Mariano Serratore, Technical Director, for ICEA, and Harald Dittmar, General Manager, for BDIH/IONC.

The agreement establishes ICEA’s first international Hub, hosted by BDIH in Mannheim: an information and contact point for companies in Germany and the German-speaking countries interested in voluntary sustainability certification.

The Hub will focus on three main areas:

• RSPO – sustainable palm oil and derivatives supply chains;
• Textile schemes – GOTS and Textile Exchange standards;
• ROC – Regenerative Organic Certified – the regenerative organic agriculture programme of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, for which ICEA is a recognised certification body.

For companies interested in these schemes, the Hub will be the first point of access. It will provide information and initial guidance on requirements and on the certification process, and will put companies in touch with ICEA’s technical departments, which will follow them from application through to certification. It will also promote information sessions for companies and professionals, starting with the RSPO scheme. Drawing on BDIH’s strong roots in the German business and association landscape, the Hub will engage with companies, associations and other supply-chain stakeholders, and support the partners’ institutional communication in the region.

All assessment and certification activities remain with ICEA.

The initiative is part of ICEA’s international development, based on cooperation with institutional and sector organisations. Mannheim is the first experience of this model.

“Certification builds trust between those who produce, process and purchase, including across national borders”, said Paolo Lumaca, President of ICEA. “Working with an association such as BDIH, which for 75 years has authoritatively represented companies in its sector, means sharing a vision of sustainability grounded in the quality of supply chains and transparency towards consumers. Through this partnership ICEA strengthens its presence in Europe and brings its experience to a market that has made sustainability a key purchasing criterion.”

“Launching ICEA’s first international Hub with BDIH and IONC is especially meaningful for us”, added Mariano Serratore, Technical Director of ICEA. “BDIH has in-depth knowledge of the German market and its companies; ICEA brings established expertise in RSPO, textiles and regenerative agriculture. Together we can offer companies a close and qualified point of reference.”

“Our cooperation with ICEA broadens the services BDIH and IONC can offer their members and companies in the region”, said Harald Dittmar, General Manager of BDIH/IONC, “in supply chains where demand for sustainability certification is growing.”

The ICEA Hub is based at BDIH, L 11, 20-22, 68161 Mannheim (Germany).