Internationalization process of SkyPro Shoes in the Middle East

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

This Work Project is integrated on SME Competitiveness: internationalization strategy field lab and its aim is to study a Portuguese SME. Abotoa is a small and medium enterprise that sells corporative footwear to a specific niche market – airline industry. The main goal of internationalization of this company is to increase both sales and profitability, which is Skypro’s major short/medium-term goal. Since the Portuguese market has already saturated, Skypro sells to almost all Portuguese airline companies and Skypro has already tried to reach new markets by internationalization. The Middle East appears to Skypro as one of the best regions to expand its sales. It is a region where the majority of the airline companies provide footwear to its employees and where some big companies employ, at least, the same number of the current biggest client of Skypro, TAP. These companies have a great commitment to quality service and the image wear is very important. They are also concerned about providing good footwear to its employees. The airline industry has been having high growth rates. Therefore, we can conclude that it is a very good region to invest/penetrate.