Alcanena, Portugal’s Leather Cluster hosted on Tuesday 27 October 2015 the third Seminar of the European Project developed by the sector’s Social Partners, COTANCE and IndustriAll.

The event that took place in the auditorium of CTIC, the country’s Leather Technology Centre (Centro Tecnologico das Industrias de Curtumes) was devoted to leather trade issues. Presentations from keynote speakers addressed the business outlook for the leather sector for raw materials up to retailing of leather products. Over 70 participants and guests from Portugal and abroad were in attendance clearly evidencing the interest in the event.

Participants to the Alcanena Seminar could listen to keynote speeches from
 
-    Nick Winters, President of ICHSLTA, who presented a detailed statistical analysis of the trade in hides & skins and projections for the future; he sees a bright future for European leather thanks to the quality of its domestic raw materials,  

-    Katarzyna Kuske, from the European Commission, who evidenced the main trade issues that European tanners are facing in their access to raw materials; she reported on progress in their removal and assured the support of DG Growth in finding solutions to the remaining problems,

-    Luc Triangle, Deputy Secretary General of IndustriAll, Europe’s largest industrial Trade Union, who reviewed the overall EU trade policy and underlined the need that the European Commission negotiates effective clauses in trade agreements for securing Europe’s jobs and businesses,

-    Isabel Cantista, CEO of Fast Forward Innovation Ltda. and University lecturer on marketing, who elaborated on the winning concept of fashion districts in the cities of tomorrow and the business models that support them.

Mr Nuno Carvalho, recently elected President of APIC, the Portuguese Leather Trade Association, and Mr Alcino Martinho, Director of CTIC concluded the day animating a brief panel discussion and inviting all participants to the Art Space Joao Carvalho in the city centre where the culture of leather in arts was highlighted.

APIC President Nuno Carvalho expressed his satisfaction for having successfully integrated the COTANCE-IndustriAll Seminar in the development of the Portuguese “Leather Days” that evidence to the World the beating heart of Portugal’s Leather Industry and its contribution to the future of the European Leather Industry.

October 2015