{"id":14307,"date":"2025-12-07T11:31:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T10:31:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/portugal-when-the-footwear-industry-becomes-the-factory-of-the-future-the-faist-project\/"},"modified":"2025-12-07T11:31:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T10:31:49","slug":"portugal-when-the-footwear-industry-becomes-the-factory-of-the-future-the-faist-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/portugal-when-the-footwear-industry-becomes-the-factory-of-the-future-the-faist-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Portugal: when the footwear industry becomes the factory of the future. The FAIST project"},"content":{"rendered":"
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There is a paradox that runs through the global footwear industry, and the Portuguese have understood it better than anyone else: at a time when almost 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced every year, 88% of which are concentrated in Asia, the future could be written by those who produce less but produce better. This is the challenge that Portugal is throwing down to the global industry, armed with technology, tradition and a strategic vision that few other European countries can boast.<\/p>\n

\u00abWe do not believe that this situation is sustainable; on the contrary, we believe that there is room in the market for players such as Portugal\u00bb, said Lu\u00eds Onofre, president of APICCAPS, the association of Portuguese footwear, component and leather goods manufacturers. A statement that sounds like a programme manifesto, not just a simple declaration of intent.<\/p>\n

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The figures speak for themselves: in 2024, the Portuguese footwear cluster achieved exports worth \u20ac2.1 billion, with 68 million pairs sold in 170 different countries. Exports account for 90% of national production, with Germany, France and the Netherlands as the main European markets. But it is in the United States that Portugal has recorded its most impressive performance: 109% growth over the last decade, with over \u20ac90 million worth of footwear exported in 2024 alone.<\/p>\n

Behind these results is an industrial strategy that combines craftsmanship excellence and cutting-edge technology. And the beating heart of this transformation is called FAIST: F\u00e1brica \u00c1gil, Inteligente, Sustent\u00e1vel e Tecnol\u00f3gica.<\/p>\n

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THE FAIST REVOLUTION: ANATOMY OF A \u20ac50 MILLION PROJECT<\/b><\/p>\n

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When it comes to industrial innovation, we too often get lost in empty slogans and promises that are never kept. The FAIST project, on the other hand, represents something different: a concrete investment of \u20ac50 million, part of the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), involving 45 co-promoters including footwear companies, component manufacturers, software developers and scientific and technological institutions.<\/p>\n

Coordinated by the Portuguese Footwear Technology Centre (CTCP) and led by Carit\u00e9 as consortium leader, FAIST has set itself ambitious but measurable goals. \u00abThe aim is for the Portuguese footwear industry to remain at the forefront and consolidate its position as the most modern in the world\u00bb, says Lu\u00eds Onofre with conviction. This is not rhetoric: it is the translation of numbers into vision.<\/p>\n

The project was created to respond to the concrete needs of the sector: to prepare the industry for future challenges by investing in digital technologies, process and product sustainability, with the aim of achieving greater efficiency and profitability, rapid response to the market, better working conditions and product differentiation.<\/p>\n

Florbela Silva, FAIST project coordinator and director of the CTCP’s Innovation and Digital Manufacturing Unit, points out that 75% of the project has already been completed. \u00abThe market is evolving and we must keep pace with this change, both in the way we produce and in the products we offer\u00bb, explains Silva. This statement encapsulates the essence of an industry that is not content to merely survive but wants to drive change.<\/p>\n

The philosophy behind FAIST is that while Portuguese companies are already recognised for their ability to innovate and produce small orders efficiently, now is the time to optimise processes and improve efficiency to ensure further gains in competitiveness. In particular, the sector will acquire the skills to produce on a larger scale, innovating throughout the entire production chain, from component manufacturing to the creation of modular assembly units.<\/p>\n

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