Involving a consortium of over 70 partners and a total investment exceeding 70 million euros, the BioShoes4All project is a strategic initiative for the footwear sector. Perfectly aligned with the objectives of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, this project aims to address various components of footwear by promoting the sector’s capacity, competitiveness, and sustainability.
One of the pillars of this project focuses on the study and development of new bioleathers, biomaterials, composites, components, and processes with a lower environmental impact. The research conducted at the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) has explored several aspects of this pillar. On one hand, it investigates by-products from the agri-food industry as possible alternatives to reduce fossil fuel dependency, promoting more circular industrial practices or even the use of biological material for producing new types of soles and heels.
On June 26, APICCAPS and the Footwear Technology Centre of Portugal organized a BioShoes4All Demonstration Action at Oliva Creative Factory in S. João da Madeira. During the event, the project’s initial results and new products were presented through a series of discussion panels and a BioShoes4All exhibition highlighting a new generation of sustainable products.
Following the results obtained by the research team and as the leader of one of the measures in the panel dedicated to Biofibers, Materials, and Components, Manuela Pintado, lecturer at the Faculty of Biotechnology - Universidade Católica Portuguesa and director of CBQF, was invited to present the approach taken by her research team. She was also responsible for moderating a panel featuring representatives from different companies involved in these efforts, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between academia and industry to achieve innovative and sustainable solutions.
The event demonstrated the ongoing commitment of APICCAPS, the Footwear Technology Centre of Portugal, and their partners to lead the way toward a more sustainable future in the footwear industry, with the BioShoes4All project playing a crucial role in this process.
