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The Portuguese textile sector is a veritable phoenix. It is one of the industrial sectors that has managed to reinvent itself over the years. With centuries of history, textiles is characterized by the art of know-how and is highly customer-oriented.

The Portuguese textile sector is a veritable phoenix. It is one of the industrial sectors that has managed to reinvent itself over the years. With centuries of history, textiles is characterized by the art of know-how and is highly customer-oriented. Its commitment to quality and the excellence of its human resources paved the way for success.

Years of experience combined with a passion for detail have given this sector unique know-how in designing the most diverse types of fabrics. From linen to cotton, working with natural and synthetic fibers, to talk about Made in Portugal textiles is to talk about quality and innovation. It is this knowledge that the Portuguese textile workforce possesses that gives it an admirable degree of excellence, recognized worldwide. Production for internationally renowned brands is living proof of this.

How is the Portuguese textile workforce characterized?
Located essentially in the north of Portugal, mostly in the cities of Guimarães, Barcelos and VN Famalicão, the Portuguese textile workforce has regained a dominant position compared to countries whose labor is cheaper and, in many cases, also less specialized. With a strong vocation for quality standards and process innovation, Portuguese weavers have high professional skills.

Currently, the majority of workers in this sector have a basic education, but the situation is gradually changing due to the mandatory increase in the minimum level of education to 12th grade and the strong desire to learn. Although there are still some deficiencies in training and rejuvenating the workforce, the reality is that the success of the Portuguese textile workforce comes from a centuries-old tradition. There are many examples of companies with decades of history in which generations of families work and whose knowledge is passed down from generation to generation.

In fact, although many jobs were lost during the 2008 crisis, the landscape of the textile and clothing industry changed rapidly. Given the favorable working conditions, this is a sector that has become more attractive, with a strong respect for workers’ well-being and motivating them to be ambitious in their expectations, involving them in the process and on the road to success.

Quality as the source of success
It is with this workforce that Portugal has established itself as one of the strongest textile industries in the world, capable of overcoming adversity, crises and challenges. They are the true “weavers of success”, whether in clothing, home textiles or technical textiles.

Over the last few years, and in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become clear that it is the Portuguese textile workforce that has been the lever of a sector that shows capacity, ambition and production opportunities, as well as unparalleled adaptability skills.

Currently, the sector’s biggest challenge is to attract a young, qualified workforce. If a few years ago Portuguese textiles faced an unemployment problem, today the challenge is exactly the opposite. More and more companies are investing in attractive working conditions that allow them to attract young people with higher qualifications and professional training. In this way, it will be possible to combine the best of tradition and innovation, which guarantee the quality of Portuguese textiles.

This is one of Crishome’s main motivations: to ensure that the excellence of its skilled workforce is based on an attitude of team spirit that makes Crishome’s identity truly unmistakable among its stakeholders.

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