Chamatex launches ASF 4.0 in Portugal, backed by Carlos Tavares and Teddy Riner

Producing sports activities footwear in Europe: that was Chamatex’s daring wager when it launched its ultra-modern, automated ASF 4.0 manufacturing facility in Ardèche, France in 2020.

Five years on, one other Advanced Shoe Factory 4.0 is ready to open in Barcelos, north of Porto, in Portugal. And the challenge has attracted traders unaccustomed to industrial financing rounds. The former head of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, and French Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner are investing in the brand new Portuguese entity.

To finance the ASF 4.0 Portugal mega-factory, Chamatex has introduced a capital enhance of round seven million euros for its ASF 4.0 subsidiary, supplemented by financial institution financing and native subsidies.

While the preliminary challenge concerned companion manufacturers Salomon, Babolat, Millet, and the Zebra group, this funding spherical consists of, in keeping with Chamatex’s press launch, “the Chamatex Group, through its shareholders BPI and Yotta Smart Industry, Carlos Tavares, as reference shareholder in the ASF 4.0 Portugal subsidiary, and five business angels, including Teddy Riner.” The challenge can be supported by a fundraising marketing campaign on the Lita platform.

Carlos Tavares is deeply concerned in this challenge, backing a technological revolution and Portugal’s robust experience; the nation produces round 80 million pairs of sneakers a 12 months, in keeping with APICCAPS, the sector’s consultant affiliation.

“After many years serving international groups, I want to devote more time to my country, Portugal,” the manager says in the press launch. “Investing in ASF 4.0 means taking part in an industrial adventure, part of my DNA for over 40 years. ASF 4.0, thanks to its innovative, automated process that is unique in this industry, is opening up new prospects for the footwear industry.”

While it is a second step for ASF 4.0, the primary was not a simple one. Ambitions have been excessive for the Ardoix pilot website in the Ardèche. Although fashions from Salomon, Babolat and Millet did see the sunshine of day, ramping up the manufacturing facility was no straightforward activity. Ultimately, because the group progressively mastered its robotic course of, it reported output of greater than 150,000 pairs. It emphasises that this studying section was obligatory to realize the anticipated industrial stability and reliability. This interval enabled Chamatex to calibrate a mannequin now deemed replicable.

“It’s enormously satisfying to move to a European scale, all the more so surrounded by top-tier brands and industrial, sports and financial partners,” mentioned Gilles Réguillon, the group’s managing director, who made this industrial gamble.

The first operational section of the brand new manufacturing facility is scheduled for July 2026. It will begin with two manufacturing strains, delivering an introduced capability of 500,000 pairs per 12 months and creating 210 jobs. Once once more, the preliminary manufacturing runs in mid-2026 will likely be destined for long-standing companion Salomon.

But the companions don’t have any intention of stopping there. Two expansions are deliberate to convey the entire to 1.5 million pairs and 580 jobs by 2030. This output ought to present the plant’s clients with larger responsiveness, elevated flexibility to check smaller runs, and a lowered carbon footprint.

The group stresses that Ardoix, in the Ardèche mountains, will stay the centre of analysis, growth and industrialisation, liable for supporting technological developments and new fashions.

With this second plant, ASF 4.0 enters a brand new section. Its realisation, bringing on board an investor like Carlos Tavares, might be an indication that, past statements of intent, reindustrialisation, combining a high-quality response to market wants with superior automation, is now on a reputable footing.