CTCP’s SHOE FABLAB is a technological promotion space in the area of footwear and leather goods, which exists since 2018, within the scope of the Step2footure project. It has the clear objective of providing companies in these sectors with human and technological resources to help bring ideas to life and find solutions to challenges, always with an eye on innovation in production processes, products and services. And how? Through access to knowledge and technologies, demonstration and experimentation of new materials, products and the potentialization of results in projects.
Shoelutions is currently collaborating with CTCP, through a workshop with an arts course, from one of the Dr. Manuel Laranjeira schools, which the challenge is the development of the footwear models created by the students. The role of Shoelutions is to help students finalize their design, making it more functional, suggest materials, help with modeling demonstration and development and even support in the manufacturing part.
There are already two physical spaces at the CTCP, in São João da Madeira, which combine synergies between the traditional and the future. While one of the spaces is equipped with more traditional machines for the manufacture of shoes, the other, more recent one, which emerged as part of the MetalShoe FABLAB Network project, is focused on digital technologies, such as 3D printing, robotics, automation, etc. There is also a space in the CTCP building in Felgueiras with traditional machines.