With a determined commitment to talent and the circular economy, we use excellence and quality as our flag, using artificial intelligence as a tool and not an end. These are the key elements and challenges facing shoes, as stated by designer Sara Navarro, president and vice-president of the European Footwear Confederation (CEC), Federation of Spanish Footwear Industries (FICE). , Rosana Perán, at the 4 Estaciones Forum this Friday.
The discussion titled “Shoe industry 5.0”, organized by Club INFORMACIÓN and Banco Sabadell, was moderated by INFORMATION director Toni Cabot and took place on Friday night at the Elda Shoe Museum.
Toni Cabot underlined that the two heroes of the forum were “two very high-level professionals” who addressed the problems of the industry for an hour and a half in front of a large audience.
In the first of the four blogs, “Commitment to excellence as a path to the future. Design and Technology. Footwear industry 5.0,” said Sara Navarro, noting that “any company that wants to project itself into the present, not the future, must take into account two areas: One is technological, with artificial intelligence, Blockchain is essential in any circular economy process, so he remembered that what the customer wants is to know everything about the production process, the origin of everything, who produced it, how it was produced…
The other area is “the whole incorporation of capabilities,” meaning “the area that needs to interact with AI and Blockchain.” Protecting, guiding and training this talent, betting on it and preventing it from being spent or wasted in inappropriate positions became one of the axes of the conversation.
Rosana Perán emphasized: “Perfection can be achieved through conscious leadership. We must be aware of goodness. “Company leaders need to have self-esteem and self-confidence and convey that to workers,” as a way to “prevent talent shortages and retain talent.”
Regarding technology and artificial intelligence, Perán said: “They are not an end, but a tool; we are people. They give added value”, meaning it is necessary to “invest in these new generations, get closer to them”. Therefore “training should come as close as possible to the needs of companies “But companies also need to adapt to the needs of new generations.”
In the blog “Sustainability, circular economy, application of the green, blue and yellow economy to the footwear sector”, Navarro emphasized that “The most important thing is the circular economy and it’s about starting from eco-design.” So the designer’s idea has been going in this direction from the beginning.
For his part, Perán reminded that “sustainability was a fashion for brands with eco-labels etc. between 2012-2013, but it is now a serious issue” and emphasized that he regrets the lack of clarity in this regulation in the EU. Pointing out the challenges that companies will face as of 2030, he pointed out that the shoe and sub-industry should work together.
Regarding the blog “New ways of marketing in the age of artificial intelligence”, Sara Navarro underlined that new technologies will help personalize products, know preferences and “prioritize quality over quantity.” “The approach needs to be more individual,” said Rosana Perán, adding: “Artificial intelligence is a tool, but the important thing in marketing is always to have processes, working methodologies and strategies. and artificial intelligence helps us»
Regarding the “shoes and fashion” blog, Navarro emphasized the following: “For a long time, companies have devoted themselves to producing shoes without following the fashion trend. “It was a consumer good rather than a fashion-related product” but that has changed and he stressed that “Elda and its province are world leaders”.
Navarro also emphasized that “excellence and quality will revitalize this industry.” Perán also pointed out that the external image of Spanish shoes is very good, and said that during his last visit to Shanghai he confirmed that “the Chinese love Spanish and European brands”, but they are betting big and investing. to develop .
Both highlighted female leadership in an industry dominated by women and whose main customers are women, and they ended with an emotional embrace when Perán declared himself an admirer of Navarro and his work to applause, calling her a “leader and visionary.” from assistants.
Rubén Alfaro: “We need to maintain our commitment to training”
Mayor Rubén Alfaro thanked Elda for choosing him to this forum and underlined that Sara Navarro and Rosana Perán are “two female emblems of the shoe industry.” “This forum also comes to reinforce the spirit we have been promoting in the city lately, betting on our industry, bringing visibility to our identity and what feeds thousands of families in our region.” We face challenges such as shoe 5.0, technology, competitiveness, artificial intelligence and its applications, consumers’ needs to use environmentally friendly products, and commitment to the circular economy. These challenges are well known in our city and we accompany them through our flagship Inescop. And he added: “We need to maintain our commitment to education.
Fernando Canós: “Rosana and Sara are two locomotives at the international level”
Fernando Canós, general manager of the Banco Sabadell of the Valencian Community, emphasized that the leading roles in the event belonged to Sara Navarro and Rosana Perán, and thanked the mayor of Elda, Rubén Alfaro, for hosting the event and emphasized the presence of the Banco. Regional Secretary of Industry Felipe Carrasco and President of the Alicante Chamber of Commerce Carlos Baño. Canós said: “When I talked to the INFORMACIÓN Club and Toni, we saw that we also need to talk about shoes when you look at what forum we have established. The real driving force not only locally but also internationally, as the Spanish brand has taken a very important step to position its shoes as a prestigious brand.” What could be better than going hand in hand with Rosana and Sara? “We have two great ambassadors.”