Full programme available at the UITIC Congress - Follow this link

Luís Onofre, APICCAPS President commented: “The programme of the 20th UITIC Congress now announced sets high expectations for the event. As technology and the digital invaded our daily existence, we will all benefit from stopping for a while and have a reflection about all these topics. If you think about how technology is impacting production you will easily conclude that we live in a new paradigm dominated by intelligent and high-performance materials, flexible manufacturing processes, increasing automation and robotization of production and new concepts of customisation. Also, in terms of human and social interaction, technology is playing a key part there as well. For example, social networks are no longer just a hobby in our personal life, and brands and companies are trying to learn how to take advantage of such a huge opportunity to communicate with the entire world with an easy and very accessible tool as the internet. However, this asks for a deep reflection about the positioning of each brand and is communication strategy. The way brands will interact with their customers in the future will be completely different from now, and we need to anticipate that”.

APICCAPS and the CTCP are expecting around 400 participants in the 20th edition of the UITIC Congress, including footwear manufacturers, suppliers of equipment and technologies, producers of materials, distribution and retail distribution companies, footwear associations, technical centres, universities, journalists, etc. Being part of this community, which will be gather in Porto for almost one week to discuss issues such as development strategies, business models, fashion and design, automation and robotics, advanced materials, sustainability and training processes with experts from various parts of the world, coming from Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Romania, Spain, the USA and obviously from the hosting country, Portugal, will offer immense possibilities for information exchange and networking.

Luís Onofre concluded inviting the worldwide industry to visit Porto in May: “Portugal is a reference in the international footwear industry. Footwear exports increased by 60% in recent years and the country now exports more than 95% of its production to more than 150 markets and has some of the most demanding customers. The 20th UITIC Congress will be a unique opportunity for importers, distributors and retailers to get to know Portuguese brands, to visit some of the most relevant factories and to network with some important Portuguese players, who position their brands in niche markets and very specialised segments. Those looking for differentiated products with a twist will be impressed by the Portuguese footwear brands and will be able to visit up to 12 Portuguese companies using modern technologies and advanced manufacturing processes”.

From Fashion to Factory: A New Technological Age

The 20th edition of the UITIC Congress will take place in Porto from the 16th to the 18th of May 2018, at the Sheraton Hotel and will include visits to some of the leading Portuguese companies. Two extra days are reserved for additional visits to factories. www.porto2018.uitic.org


UITIC is the International Union of Shoe Industry Technicians, an organization focused on the development of technical knowledge in the footwear industry, on organizing international conferences and promoting information exchange between its members in the field of technology.

CTCP is the Portuguese Footwear Technological Centre, a non-profit organization supporting the footwear industry in the fields of testing and quality control, technical assistance and consultancy, research and development of new materials, products, processes and equipment.

APICCAPS is the national association representing the footwear, leather goods, components and equipment companies of the entire cluster in Portugal.