FAIST - Agile, Intelligent, Sustainable and Technological Factory aims to equip and improve the footwear sector with innovative technologies, processes and sustainable materials. It's an initiative that seeks to increase agility in adapting to market demands and transform the Portuguese footwear and leather goods sector into one of the most advanced on the international market scene.

To this end, last Friday, November 15, as part of the FAIST project, Fernando Ferro & Irmão Group hosted the first FAIST project demonstration at its premises.  

This included speeches by the Deputy Minister for Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida and the President of APICCAPS (Portuguese Association of Footwear, Components, Leather Goods and their Substitutes), Luís Onofre. Florbela Silva, the project's coordinator, then presented FAIST's mobilizing agenda and Cristiano Figueiredo, a member of the Footwear Technology Centre, gave a presentation on automation in the footwear industry.

The program also included a round table with the participation of Albano Fernandes, from AMF; Armindo Peixoto, from ARMIPEX; Fernando Ferro, CEO of Fernando Ferro & Irmão Group, DCSI PRO and TECHLASTS; and João Bernardo, from MIND. The session concluded with words from Reinaldo Teixeira, President of the Portuguese Footwear Technology Center.

During the session, Fernando Ferro said, "We develop everything from start to finish and our production is very technical. We work for various industries, including footwear. For this sector we manufacture shapes or molds for components, but also the machines that create them." The group's CEO also said that the company also has the capacity to produce molds and shapes for various types of footwear, including sports and safety shoes. "Another important avenue for growth is safety footwear: these are also very technical shoes and we want them to be not only functional, but also comfortable and well-designed."