Estudo sobre o arranjo produtivo local de calçados em Franca e sua inserção no mercado internacional

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the recent trajectory of the Local Productive Arrangement (LPA) of Footwear in the city of Franca, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, between the years 1997 and 2023. Recognized as one of Brazil's main footwear clusters, the Franca LPA represents a significant share of national production, exports, and employment in the sector. The research seeks to understand the impacts of changes in global value chains, with an emphasis on the rise of the Asian footwear industry — particularly China — and the challenges faced by local producers in an increasingly asymmetric international competitive environment.

Using secondary data on production, exports, and employment, the analysis shows that Franca followed national trends but experienced more pronounced declines during periods of economic and health crises. The international integration of local companies has largely occurred in a subordinate manner, with strong dependence on external agents and limited presence of proprietary brands abroad. Technological barriers, low innovation capacity, and the absence of collective strategies for commercial promotion are factors that hinder the competitive positioning of Franca's LPA in the global market. The study concludes that the LPA could reorganize its international insertion by investing in product differentiation, design, innovation, and strengthening local institutional capacity.