More than 70 Portuguese companies from the footwear sector participate this week in Milan, Italy, at the international fairs Micam, Lineapelle and Simac Tanning Tech. The Portuguese representation includes 32 footwear companies at Micam, 31 at the leather and materials fair Lineapelle, and eight at the machines fair Simac. The participation takes place in a context of "general slowdown in global footwear trade", according to the sector association APICCAPS.
The Portuguese companies participate within a dozen international initiatives planned from September, in partnership with AICEP and with support from the Compete 2030 program. The president of APICCAPS, Luís Onofre, states that "in just two months, practically 100 Portuguese companies will be part of actions in international markets". The sector is also concluding, by the end of the year, the largest investment cycle in its history, with more than 100 million euros applied in sustainability, digitalization, artificial intelligence and new technologies.
At Lineapelle, the highlight is the BioShoes4All project, described as the largest collaborative project ever developed by the Portuguese footwear industry in the areas of bioeconomy and sustainability. The project brought together 69 partners and mobilized an investment of around 60 million euros, having generated more than 200 scientific, technological and industrial results over four years. Among the solutions developed are materials with agro-industrial waste, leathers with water-based finishes, recycled components and processes to reduce the consumption of energy, water and chemicals.
At Simac Tanning Tech, the FAIST project will be presented, with an investment close to 50 million euros focused on the technological and productive capacity of the sector. The project developed 34 new products, processes and services, including advanced equipment, automatic lines, digital systems and pilot units. The goal is to enable the production of small and personalized series with greater efficiency, automate demanding operations and improve working conditions.
