Footwear to invest in excess of €30 million

Companies in the industry presented 54 projects to Portugal 2020

The footwear industry is ready to invest and has presented 54 projects to Portugal 2020, totalling 30 million euros, according to the newspaper of the sector’s association.

The package gives priority to technologic modernization and should generate 400 jobs in the industry.

"During the first submission of projects, 54 proposals for modernizing footwear companies were put forward, with a total investment of around 33 million ", said Leandro Melo, the general manager of the Portuguese Footwear Technological Centre, adding that approximately 50% of the amount contemplates the purchase of new equipment and the modernization of factories.

"During the last decade, the Portuguese footwear industry became the most modern in the world, following a continuous investment in state-of-the-art equipment and technologically advanced solutions. It is important to stay on that path, while making sure that our companies are flexible, more capable than their competitors, and respond rapidly to market needs ", stated Mr. Melo to the sector’s newspaper.

In Guimarães alone, several companies are investing, including Kyaia, Portugal’s largest footwear makert, which are expanding their facilities, as well as Albano Miguel Fernandes, Calçado Celita, Cruz de Pedra and Paradigma, who are building new industrial units.

The investment dynamics is a result of the investment by the Strategic Plan for the Footwear Cluster in Portugal -  Footure 2020 to provide the sector with "a qualitative leap in its process for affirmation " based on "the sophistication and creativity of the Portuguese offer, of its productive processes and business models", towards enhancing the final product and keep a national manufacturing base and a flexible offer.

The sector has registered six consecutive records in exports, reaching 79 million pairs and 1.865 billion euros sold to foreign markets in 2015.