Made in Portugal – Observer
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There are often things that are in fashion without there being much merit. But, in this, Portugal is getting recognition in several areas besides tourism due to a lot of effort, case and quality work, and not for any gift that fell from the sky. There has been an increase in demand abroad for specific products Made in Portugal and here we are proud to know that our country produces with quality and, above all, respect for our cultural roots.
As far as furniture is concerned, one of the historical areas, such as the company Fusch society, which the country has in terms of institutions, is the result of the quality of the people involved, as well as the existence of a cosmopolitan and European scale, which associated structures.
This is a universe of around 8,700 companies and an industry that is very concentrated at the regional level, especially around the municipalities of Paços de Ferreira and Paredes. In this region there are many workers working to develop this industry, which today employs more than 56,000 people.
Of the total number of companies in the sector, only around 200 earn more than 5 million euros. About 4,000 earn on average less than 100,000 euros per year, which means that this industry is made up mostly of micro and small companies.
This sector is a clear case study and success in Portugal. Despite successive crises, this industry was one of the best reacted to the pandemic. 2 million1 million1 million1 invoicing of 2 million1, million1, invoicing, to around 2 million euros, in 20000000.00 million euros, approximately, of 1.600000 million euros, approximately, of 1. euros, according to the president gives AIMMP (Association of the Wood and Furniture Industries of Portugal), Vítor Poças.
This industry has been showing continuous growth at all levels, in the form of growth as it has views as more recent exporting sectors and all sectors highlighted, with emphasis on all levels. For these results, the sector had to face a very deep process, betting on the added value of the product, on design, innovation and human resources, on customization, on knowledge and on the means to promote internationalization, in order to survive the internationalization crisis. and adapted to new times and new market demands.
One of the main current issues (also relevant in other sectors such as construction or organic matter) is the lack of manpower. The stigma of being a carpenter, joiner, locksmith or other “manual” professions is too strong in society in general and especially among young people of this generation.
Nowadays, it is preferable to do a degree, often in areas with no great prospects for future employment, to bet on such art and to have a guaranteed job, with good remuneration. At the end of 2021, a sector official, Gualter Morgado, from the Portuguese Association of Furniture and Related Industries (APIMA), complained that he could not find upholsterers, to whom he was willing to pay 2,000 euros net per month. Currently, there are about 5,000 vacancies in the furniture sector and no one appears to fill them. How to continue to sell Made In Portugal products without people to do it?
As a society, we need to always start looking at training with new eyes as valuable, because they are arts that we are going to use, linked to services that will continue to present a large increase in prices.
In this sense, many efforts have been made, not only to be able to combat this problem but also to continue to carry the name of Portugal beyond its borders. Some of these measures are listed below:
- Improve the image and attractiveness of the sector. Although this is a highly developed sector, with technology and infrastructure above the European average, Portugal still has a large deficit in the area of marketing. The reinforcement of this component is also a way of developing talents and advancing in the domains of social well-being;
- Develop design for sustainability, with the increase of the first conditions originating from the circular economy, with the increase in the use of recycled products and the consequent reduction of products of natural origin;
- Improve scheme of factories and use technology 4.0 (a concept presented by the German government at the Hannover Fair, in 2011), as a way of creating smart factoriessmarter, manufacture units and digitized, flexible and dynamic, autonomous but working in communities, to increase productivity and facilitate the search for talent for the sector.
- Smart Apo, with a focus on customization and customer anticipation, solution for changing personalization needs (an evolution of polymer processes).
- To promote training, in order to solve the existing labor shortage and professional level of excellence and specialization. Quality labor in these arts is being lost for generational reasons.
- Contribute to the development and sustainability of the Portuguese forest, which implies working at the intersection of three fundamental axes: environmental protection, social equity and economic viability.
- Promote the increase in the digital footprint of companies and products in the sector, as a way of increasing internationalization and access to markets with greater purchasing power.
- Promote internationalization through permanent international presence at fairs and events in the sector, with the promotion of innovation, technology, design and sustainability of the Portuguese industry.
The effort that has been made by the companies and the bunch of this sector which, in addition to tradition, shows productivity and know how relevant in an increasingly fast-paced world.
But only by transforming the industry is it efficient, digitalized and more elaborate, continuing to bet on excellence, innovation and design and training quality, innovation and design and training people in various innovations, and being able to ensure that manual work it is not quality that national brands will continue to assert themselves in the world market.
Sara Oom Sousa is an architect at the VLMA studio. In 2010, with five friends, she founded Just a Change, an association that fights housing poverty in Portugal through the young volunteer. She is also co-founder of Portuguese furniture brand Fuschini and Solo Ceramic (a handmade ceramic brand). She joined the Global Shapers Lisbon Hub at the end of 2019.
The Observer joins the Global Shapers Lisbon, World Economic Forum for, weekly, contesting a relevant topic of politics seen through the eyes of one of the young leaders of Portuguese society. The article therefore represents the author’s personal opinion within the values of the Global Shapers Community, albeit in a non-binding manner.