AFP reports that Portugal’s textile sector has a competitive advantage over Asia and clients are now turning to Portugal as the country has the reputation for innovation.
According to AFP, Portugal's textile industry, that was shaken in the last 20 years by competition from Asia, has now found its footing again and has become a major player, supplying not just to Europe but also to the United States.
Since Portugal has invested in R&D for manufacturing, it is now competing with Asian countries. The Textiles & Clothing Technological Institute CITEVE develops new fibers produced from recycled materials and dyes derived from natural products.
The AFP news report adds that delays in deliveries during the pandemic pushed textile producers to use supply chains closer to home. Portugal also has increased efficiency, with all textile factories being located in a hub in a radius of about 50 kms. In the north of Portugal, there are around 5,000 companies and 100,000 workers.
Exports of textile products from Portugal in 2021 hit record sales of EUR 5.4 billion, that is over 16% more than the previous year. Riopele is one of the country’s biggest producers and the factory has nearly 200 state-of-the-art weaving machines that run 24hrs a day, 6 days a week.
In 2022, Portugal’s textile industry did better than expected with inexpensive labor, flexibility as well as innovation as key drivers of success. Portugal’s vision of an eco-friendly and sustainable textile sector means that the sector will be decarbonized within 15 years, according to the President of the Portuguese Textiles Association. Already, many textile factories have decarbonized industrial production by 70%.
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