“I was encouraged by the fact that a sector with large companies would not fall and would end up falling due to lack of market, we were all at risk due to competition from China. My national pride is so great that I couldn't let my sector die. The hardest part was getting started, introducing ourselves to European bodies and gaining credibility with them”.
Mr. Castro was President of AIPI between 2009 and 2019 and, for him, as President of AIPI, his efforts were mostly tied to the union of all companies. “It was ten years in which I struggled for improvements, so that companies could increase their national dimension, but above all internationally. Only then would it be possible to compete with the best”.
In 2019, Eng.º Silva Macieira accepted the commitment to be the President of AIPI, a position he currently holds, and he expressed his motivation “being aware of market trends and remaining involved in the lighting sector, monitoring the work of the AIPI with national companies was something that I was always aware of and that I always admired. I even believe that the support given to them in the internationalization process is fundamental for the recognition of the industry, outside our country, praising the work and the Portuguese workforce”.
The current President faced one of the biggest crises in the world, the COVID-19 pandemic, and spoke a little about that period. “Actually, it was not easy. The constant uncertainties that we lived daily accompanied by the new rules that were being implemented, both at a personal and professional level, hampered the growth of the sector and consequently of the companies that constitute it. There were many challenges, from the scarcity of raw materials, which remains until today, as well as the delivery times that are widely extended and even the lack of motivation felt by all workers during this phase. However, an effort is made daily to overcome the consequences of this crisis, and I believe that in the near future, this will be possible. With the return to normality, the return of fairs in the sector and with all the lessons we learned during the pandemic, I believe that we will quickly adapt to this new reality”.
And he adds “The world economy was very fragile, facing a new reality that forced companies to reinvent themselves, adapting to the challenges created by the pandemic. Competing with international competitors became a growing challenge due to restrictions, which hampered the sector's growth, as a large percentage of it comes from exports. The truth is that after the crisis, companies are still a little insecure about everything, they are in a phase of restart and reassessment. However, and curiously, it was a way for them to gain strength and manage to overcome the challenges that came with it, showing themselves to be motivated to overcome them. After such a controversial period, I believe this is what made them move forward and, little by little, the sector returns to what it was before”.
ENTREVISTA / INTERVIEW
.17 | OUT./OCT.