Portugal sets out its stall as ‘most modern’ footwear-making destination
Artificial intelligence, automation and robotics were high up the agenda at the ‘Welcome to the Industry of the Future’ footwear conference in Porto, organised by industries bodies APICCAPS and CTCP, the Portuguese Footwear Technology Centre.
Portugal exported 68 million pairs of shoes to approximately 170 countries in 2024. However, while Europe was responsible for a third of footwear production 30 years ago, now less than 3% is made here, according to their figures.
Luís Onofre, president of APICCAPS, told the conference: “Europe cannot resign itself to a secondary role. More than 100 million euros have been invested in Portugal in recent years, a decisive step towards making the Portuguese footwear industry the most modern in the world, accelerating the digital and technological transformation of companies.”
To mark its 50th anniversary, APICCAPS also held a dinner, attended by figures from the shoe industry and politics.
