Events

Conference on the future of footwear in Europe to be held at Porto

Nov 11, 2025 Portugal

A two-day international conference focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing the footwear industry will be held in Porto from the 18th to the 19th of November. The event is organised by APICCAPS and CTCP

Porto will host, on the 18^th and 19^th of November, an international conference dedicated to the future of the footwear industry. Organized by APICCAPS (Portuguese Footwear Association) and CTCP (Portuguese Footwear Technology Centre), the two-day event will bring together world-renowned experts to discuss the main challenges and opportunities facing the sector in a context of technological, economic, and environmental transformation.

The event also marks the public presentation of the results of the FAIST Project – Agile, Intelligent, Sustainable and Technological Factory, one of the largest investments ever made by the Portuguese footwear industry. Supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), the national cluster has invested more than 50 million euros in automation, robotics, and sustainability, “with the goal of making the Portuguese footwear sector one of the most modern and competitive in the world”, highlights the President of APICCAPS.

According to Luís Onofre, “it is time to seriously discuss Europe’s role in global footwear production”. He recalls that “around 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced every year, and 90% of that production is concentrated in Asia. This dependency is neither reasonable nor sustainable. Europe must assume its responsibility and its potential as a reference for quality, innovation, and ethical production”.

Luís Onofre argues that “Europe cannot be just a consumer market; it must also be a hub for intelligent, sustainable, and technologically advanced production”. For the President of APICCAPS, "European competitiveness is not built on low costs, but on talent, knowledge, and added value”.

“Portugal is an example of that vision”, he emphasizes. “We have shown that it is possible to produce excellent footwear while respecting the environment, valuing people, and investing in technology. We hope this debate will inspire other European countries to follow the same path”.

The conference, held in Porto, will take place at the Palácio da Bolsa and will focus on topics such as robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence. More than 20 journalists from five continents have already confirmed their attendance.

Portugal APICCAPS CTCP Events FAIST Footwear Portuguese Shoes