INNOVATION MADE IN PORTUGAL

Portuguese textiles are well-known for the innovative use of materials and their applications in various areas, and have assumed an important role in the textiles area. 

A. Sampaio – Axfilia – Fall Safe - Heliotextil – HR Proteção - Lemar –Nordstorm – TecRisk – are the seven Portuguese companies that made up the Portuguese delegation at the A+A fair, an initiative organised by, an initiative promoted by Selectiva Moda Association, co-financed by the EU Structural and Investment Funds as part of the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020 and COMPETE 2020.

The participation of the Portuguese delegation in A+A Dusseldorf is the result of a joint effort between the Associação Selectiva Moda and Citeve in the area of Functional and Innovative Textiles. The number of exhibitors at this year's fair has increased by 60% compared to the last event, in 2013. 

CITEVE will be demonstrating two innovative fire fighting suits developed in partnership with Portuguese companies, as part of the mobilizing project POWER TEXTILES - PT XXI, which was recently completed. Alongside this, it will present, in the FROM PORTUAL space, a technological offer of tests, trials and simulations in the area of instrumented mannequins, notably for the objective analysis of imperviousness to rain (rain mannequin), flammability (fire mannequin) and thermal comfort (thermal mannequin), as well as the offer of the Centre itself as a notified body for CE Marking.

Axfilia is returning to A+A for its second time. It will exhibit work clothing products in the following ranges: Protective Wear, Workwear and Corporate Wear. Innovations in each range will be presented, one of the main highlights being "Polynice", an article of clothing developed by Axfilia, which excels for its natural comfort and high resistance to industrial use and washing. «The purpose of our participation in A+A is to consolidate AXFILIA's position in Europe as a supplier and manufacture of prime quality workwear, focusing specifically on knitwear. The position we want to promote is that we provide custom-made solutions, with the quality of execution and service that our clients have come to expect», said Maria José Machado, general manager of the company. 

For the first time at this event, with the support of Selectiva Moda Association, Fall Safe will present its latest products, with innovative items and solutions for working at heights. In terms of the products exhibited, the highlights will be: Spider, a harness for rope climbing and advanced rescue, which has undergone various updates, with the incorporation of new resources; “Sharp Edge”, a range of products designed to withstand sharp edges; Orbit helmet and PRO gloves and Saveman Advance, the simplest way to solve problems encountered during a rescue situation. This event will also include the X-perience zone, where visitors can try out the new FALL SAFE™ products.

For the first time at this fair, Heliotextil will be exhibiting its latest innovations in Düsseldorf, with one of the main highlights being its latest offer of technical heat transfers, namely: Helio VR (resistant to industrial washing), Helio VR FR (flame-resistant), Helio SS (with super-stretch elasticity), Helio CP (resin-coated finishes), among others; all the products are adapted for technical uses and meet the strictest standards in this area. «This is a trade fair focused on the functional and technical textile sector, in line with our most recent offer of technical heat transfers. Our aim is to prospect for new customers and identify opportunities for the development of new products», explained Vânia Fazenda, customer manager of the company. 

Participating in the event for the first time, HR Protecção will launch, at A+A, its AntartidA PLUS brand, which includes a range of innovative articles with CE marking, in compliance with EN 342 – EPI of Category II, designed and produced in Portugal by the industrial arm of HR GROUP (HR Indústria SA). The Antartida Plus range is designed for works at below-zero temperatures. The combination of innovative materials and advanced production techniques results in articles of clothing with an optimum protection vs. mobility vs. comfort ratio that is consistent, efficient and unique. «A+A is the biggest and most prestigious trade fair at international level for our area of activity. It is an event par excellence, where the latest innovations and launches in professional workwear and personal protection equipment are presented. This is the reference, context, target public, and environment we wanted for the launch of our new range of AntartidA Plus workwear for cold climates. Combining the prestige of the event, which is a reference worldwide, with the international positioning that we defined for HR GROUP, as well as our participation as a partner on the collective FROM Portual stand, were critical factors of success for the decision-making », said Fernando Mateus, general manager of the company. «Through this participation, we aim to publicize the corporate logo of HR GROUP, as well as to disclose the industrial workwear sector of HR GROUP and promote the AntartidA Plus range on the international market, establishing strategic points in markets that are looking for positive solutions for below-zero temperatures. Our presence at this event will be an important contribution to the international consolidation of HR GROUP in the medium term», he added.

Making its début at the German event, Tecrisk will present a collection of technical clothing designed for the petrochemical and other high-risk industries. «Through this participation, we aim to introduce to the European market our collection technical TecRisk clothing, designed specifically for high-risk working environments», said Herman Alves of the company's occupational safety department.

 

A+A is the biggest and most important event specialising in health and safety at work. It is now in its 30th edition, with around 1.800 exhibitors and, for the first time, will occupy 9 exhibition halls, which represents a growth of around 10%.

Another two Portuguese companies will also attend this trade fair: Endutex and Penteadora.

The participation of the seven Portuguese companies in one more A+A Düsseldorf edition is an initiative promoted by the Selectiva Moda Association, co-financed by the EU Structural and Investment Funds as part of the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020 and COMPETE 2020. The FROM PORTUGAL project is made up of approximately 81 international activities which take place in the second half of 2015 and in 2016, covering the entire textile and fashion industry and spread over four continents, with a total investment of over 13 million euros.