Transforming Portugal’s industry through innovation and connections

Lisbon hosted the inauguration of the EIT Community Hub Portugal and its Outermost Regions on Thursday 10 July, marking a new milestone in the coordinated presence of the EIT Community in Portugal, the largest innovation ecosystem in Europe. Under the title: ‘Your Gateway to Europe’s Innovation Network – From Portugal, With Impact’, the event brought together representatives from European institutions, national and regional authorities, universities, startups, investors and key innovation stakeholders.

Over the past years, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has significantly supported the Portuguese innovation ecosystem, providing over EUR 22 million in grants to local innovators between 2021 and 2022, supporting large number of innovation and educational projects and boosting entrepreneurship.  

EIT Manufacturing’s presence and contribution have been prominent in the country, with strategic partners such as Sonae, INESC TEC and more recently, Lusófona University, joining its network. In the Call for Proposals 2024, 13 projects involving Portuguese participants were awarded, attracting over EUR 1 million in funding for national entities.   

Challenges and opportunities for Portuguese industry  

In 2023, manufacturing accounted for 11.9% of Portugal’s GDP, slightly below the European average, but still a significant slice of the national economy. As of March 2025, the manufacturing sector employed around 731,600 people in Portugal, according to Trading Economics. Automotive and mechanical components, food and beverages, cork, textiles, footwear, plastics, chemicals, paper and refined petroleum products remain among Portugal’s most prominent industrial sectors. At the same time, high-tech industries such as aerospace, biotechnology and electronics are emerging.

Portugal’s manufacturing sector remains a cornerstone of its economy, anchored by specialised industries, strong foreign investment and export-oriented focus. But to bridge the gap with Europe’s most advanced economies, a multi-pronged upgrade is essential: regulatory overhaul, digital and green investment, labour upskilling and a pivot toward higher value-added production.

EIT Manufacturing’s role becomes even more crucial, providing a powerful runway and connecting key players in the manufacturing sector. To accelerate sustainable innovation and digital transformation across European industry, EIT Manufacturing promotes talent development and entrepreneurship.

EIT Manufacturing Portuguese partners are also essential in achieving this goal and reinforcing the local ecosystem. The incorporation of Lusófona University is our network is a unique milestone.

Building a stronger Portuguese ecosystem with Lusófona university

Lusófona University, Portugal’s largest private university, fosters education, research and innovation, addressing real-world industrial challenges through strategic partnerships. With expertise in smart manufacturing, logistics, sustainability and advanced decision modeling, they bring solid experience from EU-funded and consultancy projects. Their ecosystem includes cutting-edge labs and over 100 graduate and professional training programmes.   

In a conversation with Pedro Marques, Assistant Professor at Lusófona University and a professional with over two decades of experience across multiple industry sectors, he shared insights of how academia is responding to the major challenges currently facing Portuguese and European industry.

Q: From the academic perspective, what is the main challenge that the industry faces these days?

A: Portuguese and European industry is facing three major challenges: the first has to do with the shortage of qualified and specialised manpower in STEM areas; the second has to do with simplifying processes and increasing productivity in order to remain competitive on a global scale; the third has to do with incorporating Industry 4.0 technologies into organisational processes and retraining people to interact with them.

Q: How is your university contributing to industry transformation, like circular economy, digitalisation, automation, or sustainability?

A: Lusófona University has led and participated in energy transition initiatives. One of such initiatives included the CATCHER project, which developed a device that converts energy from air humidity, in projects to reduce food waste and in the circular economy. Through machine learning applications for optimising production equipment and predicting performance – in the pulp and paper and metal production sectors – we have contributed to process automation and measurable increases in productivity by manufacturing organisations.

Q: What support are you expecting through EIT Manufacturing? Why have you decided to join this innovation and knowledge community? 

A: My expectation is to be able to contribute to an increase in the national and international network, with opportunities for collaboration in multiple possible areas: direct support for the industry in matters of strategic and operational management, professional development of its people through education and training, optimisation of organisational processes to increase productivity levels, among many others.