The Portuguese footwear industry gathered last Friday, May 29, at the United Nations in New York for a session dedicated to the challenges and opportunities currently shaping the sector on a global scale, in a context particularly influenced by Asia’s growing share of world production. The meeting, promoted by AICEP, was attended by APICCAPS and CTCP (Portuguese Footwear Technology Centre), helping to strengthen Portugal’s strategic positioning in the international competitive landscape and presenting the Portuguese cluster’s vision for a more innovative, sustainable and technologically advanced industrial model. 

During the meeting, the main investments currently underway within the Portuguese footwear cluster were presented, particularly the projects developed under the Bioshoes4all programme, regarded as one of the largest transformation movements ever undertaken by the national footwear industry. Bringing together companies, universities, technology centres and scientific institutions, the project focuses on new sustainable, digital and high value-added solutions and has attracted the attention of the United Nations, which now intends to present it as a ‘Case Study’. 

The Portuguese delegation highlighted the collective effort the sector has been making in the fields of circular economy, new materials research, industrial automation and technological capacity building, reinforcing Portugal’s position as one of the international benchmarks in responsible footwear production. "The Portuguese footwear sector is experiencing a decisive moment in its history. We are investing in the future, innovation and sustainability, with a long-term vision,” said Luís Onofre, President of APICCAPS. "Today, Portugal does not compete on price. It competes through creativity, technology, quality and the ability to anticipate the demands of international consumers,” he added. "It is important,” stressed the President of APICCAPS, "to recognise the excessive weight of the Asian continent in the sector, creating significant imbalances in free, fair and balanced trade.” 

Luísa Correia, representing CTCP, also highlighted the strategic dimension of the investments underway. "Bioshoes4all demonstrates how cooperation between companies, technology centres and universities can accelerate industrial transformation. We are building new capabilities and new solutions to address the environmental and technological challenges facing the world,” she noted. Portugal’s presence at the UN also helped strengthen the international visibility of the national industry, at a time when the sector exports more than 90% of its production to over 170 countries. The participating organisations stressed that Portugal intends to continue positioning itself as a leading international partner in the development of innovative and sustainable solutions for the fashion and footwear industries. 

In recent years, the Portuguese footwear industry has implemented an unprecedented set of investments, supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), aimed at the digitalisation, sustainability and internationalisation of companies. Bioshoes4all represents a significant part of this collective effort, involving dozens of partners and a strong commitment to research and development. Carlos Moura, Director of AICEP’s New York Office, also highlighted the joint work carried out with APICCAPS to make this institutional presence possible. "AICEP has been an active partner of APICCAPS in building closer ties with the United Nations in New York, promoting opportunities for dialogue, visibility and cooperation for Portuguese companies. The recognition shown by the UN regarding the projects transforming the Portuguese footwear industry confirms that Portugal now has a distinctive and relevant value proposition on a global scale.” "It is with great satisfaction that we see the Portuguese footwear industry presenting, at the United Nations, a vision for the future based on innovation, sustainability and technology. AICEP has sought to build bridges between Portuguese companies and the world’s leading decision-making centres, and this session demonstrates the growing relevance of the Portuguese sector in the global debate on sustainable development,” said Carlos Moura. The session at the United Nations concluded with a message of confidence regarding the future of the Portuguese footwear industry, reinforcing the idea that innovation, sustainability and international cooperation will be decisive factors for the sector’s growth over the next decade and an example for the future.