Ana Leiva, director of the Biodiversity Foundation, participated today, together with the president of the Federation of Spanish Footwear Industries (FICE), Rafael Calvo, and the president of the Association of Footwear and Related Industries of La Rioja (AICCOR), José Antonio Sáenz de Tejada, in the presentation of the “Plan for the promotion of innovation and sustainability in the footwear industry in Spain” (PIEC).

The initiative, approved within the framework of the Empleaverde Programme, is promoted by FICE, and has the collaboration of the Biodiversity Foundation as the managing entity of the European Social Fund (ESF).

The PIEC project raises the message of change in the traditional company through the application of eco-innovation and sustainability criteria, making them available to Spanish footwear SMEs in the target areas of the project: Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia, Region of Murcia, Valencia, La Rioja and the Balearic Islands.

It also provides for the implementation of training, advice, analysis and business cooperation network actions, all of which are free of charge, accessible to all workers, self-employed professionals and entrepreneurs who make up the footwear sector industry and, in particular, to disadvantaged groups.

The results expected to be achieved through this initiative, which will be carried out throughout 2010, are: the introduction of eco-innovation criteria in SMEs, the creation of some 20 environmental companies, the incorporation of environmental improvement processes in 175 companies and as many workers, and the reduction of 5% in the energy consumption of industry in the target areas of the project.