50th LEICA in PORTUGAL. We had the honor and pleasure of being able to live three days immersed in the productive and artistic reality of Leica, the German company pioneer in the development of cameras, lenses and imaging systems, which celebrated 50 years of presence in Portugal. A courageous choice that of transfer, in the now distant 1973, part of the production from the historic headquarters of Wetzlar in Germany, in the municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão in Portugal.
Today we can say that the decision was a winning one, so much so as to transform a small company with just over 10 workers into a giant with almost 800 workers, becoming a reference production site worldwide. The research and development activity, as well as several production lines, are located in Portugal.
During our stay we also had the opportunity to visit the factory and witness some production phases, unfortunately of the tour, for obvious reasons of confidentiality, we don't have photos, but We were struck by the perfect balance between modernity and artisan tradition. Browsing around the large environments, it was very exciting to see the manufacturing processes of the mechanical parts and above all the polishing of the lenses, carried out using, alternatively, modern and technologically advanced machinery and "historic" systems that require the skilled craftsmanship of man.
Naturally our attention was oriented towards knowing as much as possible about the production line Leica Sport Optics linked to the hunting and sporting world, and we have learned that the production of binoculars, rangefinders, optical aiming systems, which do not include thermal and night light intensification technology, it is made right in Portugal.
Returning to our experience during the celebrations for Leica's 50th in Portugal, we interviewed Mr. Pedro Oliveira, CEO and Member of the Board of Directors Leica Famalicão, who confirmed his satisfaction and pride in having created an international production giant, based in Portugal, asserting that one of the secrets lies in having managed to create a real "Leica family", with strong and shared values, which involves everyone, workers and enthusiasts.
The Portuguese days were obviously also organised in the name of culture, of which Leica is certainly the protagonist, with a visit to the exhibition, curated by Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Artistic Director and International Director of the 26 Leica Galleries, and with the support of the Municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão, to celebrate the success, diversity and community that has linked Wetzlar and Famalicão since 1973.
The gala dinner, organized inside, was wonderful Porto Stock Exchange Building, which projected us into a magical dimension made of soft lights and cheered by performanceand music and dance that enriched the evening.
Doing the honors were Dr. Andrea Kaufmann Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG and his wife Ms. Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, together with the board of Leica Famalicão.
The worthy conclusion was, on the last evening, the presentation of the exhibition Alfredo Cunha, “Portugal from 1973 to 2023: A Work in Progress" – who paid homage to his country of origin by telling, through photographic images, captured with his ever-present Leica, 50 years of real life in Portugal.
Thank you Leica for making us appreciate even more a multifaceted reality, where high technology and tradition blend perfectly together, becoming witnesses and narrators of life.