It is a challenge that develops on two levels. There is a first, local one, linked to the needs of development, both stylistic and regarding product, of the Portuguese tannery industry. And then there is an international level, which calls on leather as a whole to respond to the demands of green innovation and the protection of its identity. The appointment with Expopele has begun in Alcanena: an opportunity “to reaffirm the importance of the Portuguese leather sector – explained Nuno Carvalho, president of the APIC national sector association – to promote the industrial district and gather the sector around the needs of innovation imposed by the market”. But it is also the time for APIC to present the conclusion of Leather in Design, a project promoted “to allow Portuguese companies to reposition themselves by providing, for the first time in a cohesive way, an additional service to brands” argues Gonçalo Santos, general secretary of the association -. By attending Lineapelle and Futurmoda fairs and studying the advances already presented, we have developed trend books for the next three seasons, as well as collections and prototypes”.
Expopele, as we said, also speaks at the international tannery industry. Circularity, traceability, technology, carbon footprint and industry identity: the two-day conference in Alcanena looks like a workshop for the comparison between the protagonists of the sector
