UITIC Congress, interview with the chairman of CLIA, the event host

This will be the second time that the UITIC Congress comes to China after being held successfully in Guangzhou in 2013.

The organizers have chosen Shanghai, an international metropolis that harmoniously combines historical culture and modern fashion, as the conference venue. «China will offer the participants a high-level footwear technology extravaganza with the warmest hospitality and the most considerate service», as explained by Li Yuzhong, the chairman of the China Leather Industry Association.

Why was Shanghai chosen as the host city for this year’s conference?

«Shanghai is a modern international metropolis with the spirit of inclusiveness, pursuit of excellence, broad-mindedness, and humility. Located at the estuary of the Yangtze River in East China and facing the Pacific Ocean, Shanghai forms part of the Yangtze River Delta, one of China’s most robust, open and innovative regions. As China’s largest economic powerhouse and an important international financial center, Shanghai achieved a GDP of 5.39 trillion yuan in 2024, up 5 percent year-on-year. Shanghai is also an important hub for the Chinese fashion industry. Nowadays, Shanghai Fashion Week is ranked among the top five fashion events in the world.

Shanghai is closely associated with footwear industry. Firstly, in Shanghai, there are “China Time-honored Brands” like Huili and “Shanghai Time-honored Brands” such as Shanghai Leather Shoe Factory, along with well-known shoe material suppliers like Huafeng. Secondly, design-oriented institutions such as Donghua University and Shanghai Art & Design Academy are also located here. These institutions have cultivated and supplied a large number of talents for the footwear industry. Moreover, in the areas surrounding Shanghai, numerous footwear manufacturing clusters, including Wenzhou, Wenling, Gaoqiao, and Danyang, can showcase the significant changes in China’s footwear industry in terms of intelligent manufacturing, technological innovation, and quality improvement. Finally, Moda China International Shoes, Bags & Apparel Fashion Fair will be held concurrently with All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) in Shanghai from September 3rd to 5th. ACLE is the largest leather raw materials exhibition in Asia. Therefore, we believe this city can offer a unique platform for attendees to explore the latest developments and trends in the footwear industry.»

What about the development situation of China’s footwear industry?

«China is the world’s largest footwear producer, exporter, and consumer. Annually, it produces around 13 billion pairs of shoes, accounting for over 55% of the global production. In 2024, sales revenue of footwear enterprises above designated size reached 550 billion Yuan. China exported 9.2 billion pairs of shoes, with an export value reaching 46.87 billion US dollars in the same year.

In recent years, the industry has continuously achieved high-quality development. Numerous shoe brands have come to the fore in China, including Anta, Lining, Belle, Kangnai and Yearcon. Simultaneously, China’s footwear industry has accelerated technological upgrading by leveraging digital applications, and the implementation of clean production has furthered the low-carbon manufacturing transformation significantly.»

How many representatives will attend UITIC Congress 2025 in Shanghai?

«Participants will include not only footwear manufacturers, but also upstream footwear materials, chemical enterprises, shoes machinery enterprises, and shoe manufacturing clusters. It is anticipated that there will be 300 attendees, among whom more than 80 will be foreign representatives. At present, online registration is in full swing. The deadline for early bird registration has been extended to July 1st. We sincerely invite entrepreneurs, scholars and industry experts from all around the world to join us in Shanghai.»

What is the theme of this conference?

«The theme of this conference is “Footwear Competitiveness and Sustainable Development in the era of AI”. Footwear brands, manufacturers, researchers, and related experts will get together to discuss and explore the future of footwear companies through innovative materials and products, smart manufacturing and sustainability, sharing key innovations and insights at this technical conference.»

How many oral presentations and visual presentations are planned to be presented?

«The UITIC Congress Scientific Committee has reviewed the abstracts submitted globally and selected about 16 speakers to give oral presentations and 24 visual presentations to be showcased on site. Two keynote speakers will bring the latest innovation trends on both AI and sustainability.»

The International Shoe Industry Technology Conference has always had the tradition of factory visits. Will there be any related arrangements or other off-site activities this time?

«The organizers will follow the factory visit tradition of the UITIC Congress. A two-day visit will be arranged from August 31st to September 1st, including visits to SADA, Shima, Huafon, Siena, and Duowei. Meanwhile, the participants can also enjoy the Huangpu River night cruise tour on Sep 2, and visit ACLE and Moda China exhibitions on Sep 3. We firmly believe that this is not just a high-level technical event, but also a platform for information exchange, and cooperation. The delegates will have a deep understanding of the achievements of China’s footwear industry and experience the charm of Shanghai, which is known as the Pearl of the Orient.»

For registration and more info: www.uitic2025.com