World Footwear Congress 2023: "Reshaping the Future" through sustainability, digitalization and human capital
The 7th edition of the World Footwear Congress took place from November 7th to 9th in Istanbul, Türkiye, under the theme "Reshaping the future." The event brought together over 300 members of the footwear industry from both the public and private sectors, spanning all five continents.
This edition was organized by the Footwear Industrialists Association of Türkiye (TASD) and the European Footwear Confederation (CEC).
At a general level, it was argued that the footwear sector will achieve its development by focusing its actions on human capital. In this sense, the evolution towards Industry 5.0 will be achieved by primarily considering human resources, accompanied by digitization, sustainability and innovation.
The congress specifically focused on sustainability, digitalization and the workforce. Regarding sustainability, it was considered necessary to have a common definition that encompasses more than the environmental factor.
The importance of digitalization became evident through its various applications, such as personalized product and service creation, identifying the target consumer, improving production processes, and enhancing customer service in e-commerce.
Concerning the workforce, the industry is undergoing a generational transition and requires government support. Young people are attracted to the sector based on actions that involve the community and are characterized by flexibility.
The encouragement of international collaboration, which permeated various presentations during the event, was also highlighted by Luis Onofre, president of the CEC: “Only by joining efforts and working together we are able to respond to the challenges and grasp the opportunities the world is bringing to us and to ensure a smooth green, digital and just transition of our industry”.
The leader also emphasized that the sector has resilience, despite recent geopolitical, economic, and health crises, as reported by the organization.
Representing the Latin American footwear industry formed by ACCAL (Association of Footwear Chambers of Latin America), and specifically the Argentine sector, Horacio Moschetto, the Secretary-General of the Chamber of the Footwear Industry of that country, delivered a speech.
The leader expressed gratitude to the Footwear Industrialists Association of Türkiye (TASD) and the European Footwear Confederation (CEC) for the invitation and for promoting such an important and necessary meeting for the international industry.
He referred to the Latin American sector working collaboratively with governments and related entities to provide support, development, training and promotion to all its members for a long-term future within a sustainable and profitable growth environment.
Under his developed theme "Circularity and Transparency," he mentioned the various actions taking place in the region's countries, complying with international regulatory frameworks.
He pointed out that in Latin America, the largest producer of footwear is Brazil, followed by Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. In 2022, the entire region manufactured 1.4 billion pairs.
Subsequently, he provided a detailed overview of the structure of the Argentine footwear industry, its projections and perspectives.
In conclusion, the leader underscored that the Latin American industry as a whole is committed to an active and engaged position against new global challenges with the aim of ensuring a lasting transformation.
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