After the signing of a protocol between Fibrenamics / TecMinho and Sanjotec, Juliana Cruz and Clécio de Lacerda shared their knowledge about the new fibrous materials and biomimetics, respectively. Juliana Cruz spoke of the “New fibrous materials for the fashion sector”, explaining to the participants that “there are more and more fibers, and with more properties”, and even “there are already fibers with aesthetic components combined with cosmetics”. The researcher Fibrenamics also spoke of a new trend in the world of fibrous materials and their applications - shape-based materials - and that another trend, this time at the level of structures, is biomimetics. Taking advantage of the cue, the recent doctorate Clécio de Lacerda started by explaining what this recent science consists of, and then focusing on “nature as a source of inspiration for fashion”. Examples abounded, from purely aesthetic inspiration, to the replication of features, such as velcro, used in various products in the industry, such as sneakers and bags.

After presentations by the Fibrenamics researchers, Hugo Correia, a journalist at Farol de Ideias, led the talk “The (R) evolution in the fashion industry - trends and opportunities”. The guests - Daniela Duarte (Daniela full stop), Vasco Sampaio (DKode Shoes), André Rodrigues (Impetus), Sónia Guimarães (MoreTextile), Francisco Mateus (Portuguese) and Jorge Pinto (SkyPro) - spoke about the new logic of the market, and consumer requirements. In the end, it was unanimous that in the entire fashion sector the great trend is to combine design with functionality.