The European project REMAIN continues to promote the development of advanced solutions for footwear remanufacturing through its participation in some of the industry’s most important international events.
Presence at MICAM Milano
From February 22 to 24, REMAIN took part in MICAM, one of the world’s most important footwear trade fairs, held twice a year in Milan. Each edition brings together more than 20,000 visitors and around 1,000 exhibiting companies from approximately one hundred countries.
In this context, the project was showcased at the stand of the Spanish Footwear Industry Federation (FICE), where its objectives and main lines of work were shared with companies and industry professionals. During the event, the potential of remanufacturing was highlighted as a strategy to generate added value, extend product lifespan, and contribute to the development of more circular business models within the footwear industry. In this framework, on March 4 at 12:30, a joint session between REMAIN and the Interreg Sudoe Fashion Forward project, participating as a guest project, will take place.
Next stop: FUTURMODA
REMAIN will continue its participation in sector forums at the upcoming edition of FUTURMODA, the International Trade Fair for Components, Leather, Textiles and Machinery for Footwear and Leather Goods, held at IFA – Fira Alacant (Elche, Alicante). This exhibition features more than 300 exhibiting companies from Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy, among other countries, and welcomes over 6,000 visitors at each edition.
REMAIN’s presentation, entitled “Remanufacturable Footwear: Opportunities Offered by Intelligent Robotics for the Industry,” will be delivered by José Francisco Gómez, Head of the Advanced Manufacturing Unit at Inescop, the project’s leading entity. During his talk, he will address how remanufacturing is positioned as a key strategy in the current circular economy context to extend footwear lifespan and recover industrial value. He will also present the project’s progress in developing intelligent multi-robot solutions capable of tackling one of the sector’s main technical challenges: the handling and refurbishment of deformable products. This line of work aims to transform the end-of-life phase of footwear into an industrial and competitive opportunity.
For her part, Lídia Morcillo, Innovation Manager at Modacc, the coordinating entity of the Fashion Forward project, will deliver the talk “Fashion Forward: How Circularity Can Boost the Competitiveness of Textile-Fashion Companies.” The session will present the main results of this European initiative, aimed at providing practical tools to textile and fashion companies in Spain, southern France, and Portugal to advance toward a circular economy, in a context of increasing environmental regulatory requirements.
With its presence at MICAM and FUTURMODA, the REMAIN project strengthens its position in the sector’s leading international forums, bringing technological innovation and the circular economy closer to footwear companies and professionals across Europe.
Click here to learn all the details about this event: Joint event REMAIN – Fashion Forward at FUTURMODA
Project partners
The REMAIN project is coordinated by Inescop – Footwear Technology Centre, with the participation of the Universities of Zaragoza, Alicante, Coimbra, and Clermont Auvergne INP; the Federation of Spanish Footwear Industries (FICE); and the companies SMA-RTY, Automática y Control Numérico S.L., and AIDA CCI, with the social association Proyecto Lázaro acting as a collaborating partner.