Aerospace Industry Overview
Portugal presents a dynamic aerospace industry, supported by a strong and skilled workforce and a focus on R&D and innovation.
Portugal presents a dynamic aerospace industry, supported by a strong, skilled workforce and a focus on R&D and innovation.
Portugal presents a dynamic aerospace industry, supported by a strong and skilled workforce and a focus on R&D and innovation.
The aerospace sector in Portugal has a strong and export-oriented industrial base, which provides unique capabilities across the entire value chain.
In Portugal, manufacturers are significantly involved in the designing and production phases of launching systems, airplanes, satellites, components, systems development and maintenance execution activities. As a result, this increases the demand for higher levels of quality and productivity within the sector.
Portugal has been actively participating in R&D and Innovation Framework Programs from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Moreover, Portugal holds established protocols with NASA and has secured strategic partnerships with MIT and UT Austin.
Furthermore, Portugal offers world-class engineering schools equipped with comprehensive workforce qualification programs specifically tailored for the aerospace sector.
Key figures
35,9
%17,9
%16,2
%15,3
%5,6
%Eurostat (2022) weight on total exports
Main international investors
SABI. Top 5 international firms with highest turnover (2021).
The aeronautic industry in Portugal has been facing important technological developments.
The aeronautic industry in Portugal has been observing an important technological development with impact at worldwide level, emerging as an exporting industry.
Several multinationals have invested in Portugal in the past few years, such as Aernnova, Lauak, Mecachrome or Airbus Atlantic. This can be accredited to the highly qualified human resources prevalent in Portugal, their proficiency in English, and their extensive engineering expertise. Additionally, the existence of R&D centers and high-quality suppliers further strengthens Portugal’s appeal to these multinational organizations.
Portugal has a consolidated aeronautic industry, with players in different areas, such as components’ manufacturers, interior cabin design, molds and tooling, electronics, software and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). These capabilities were enhanced with the participation in the structuring of the KC 390 project.
The MRO industry is observing a quick development in the defence, civil and executive aviation which is thriving because of the country’s extensive knowledge and experience in the area. OGMA and TAP Maintenance and Engineering, key players in this area, provide a wide range of MRO services in aircraft services with solid skills to external clients.
… the OGMA company earned a spot in the top 10 MROs (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) in Europe, assured by the Aerospace & Defence Review?
Portugal's space industry is undergoing major developments that are being boosted by its talent pool and R&D projects.
The space industry is observing a steady growth, with a strong focus on technology development and innovation supported by the country’s favorable location. The space ecosystem in Portugal is diverse and dynamic, with 48 companies and 25 R&D centers, according to the Portuguese Space Agency, with special focus on space safety, earth observation, telecommunications and navigation, science and exploration, technology, space and transportation.
Portugal’s Atlantic positioning opens new opportunities for investment by making available infrastructures that are not reachable or replicable in other countries.
Additionally, Portugal hosts Azores Spaceport, one of the few planned spaceports in Europe, being one of the first European Space Agency stations that can track a launcher during the propulsion phase.
The Portugal Space 2030 Program aims to strengthen Space’s ecosystem, promoting Space as a business, as well as proposing the development of R&D and innovation units. For example, RAEGE Azores, a R&D association are responsable for managing space stations installed in Azores and LAETA from IST, that addresses complex challenges in the field of aerospace.
... Omnidea, with CEiiA (Center of Engineering and Product Development ) and AIR Centre, created GEOSAT - Global Earth Observation Satellites, that holds two medium and high-resolution Earth observation satellites, becoming the first Portuguese company to hold this type of assets and one of the largest European satellite operators ...
… with over 2 million hours dedicated to space’s study, Activespace has contributed to 30 space missions, most of them performed by the European Space Agency, by manufacturing high precision components for satellites?
… Thales EDISOFT Teleport in Santa Maria Island in Azores has a valuable infrastructure in a geostrategic position, serving space missions through a wide range of ground segment services (e.g satellite navigation and communication solutions), supported by specialized engineering teams, operating in several domains, such as aeronautics, mobility, transportation and earth observation?
… the Spanish space company Deimos Engineering, together with Deimos Space UK, were selected to develop the “Prime” micro-ship flight control system of Orbex, a British low-cost space launching private company?
Portugal has been on international investors’ radar, being the location selected for important projects and investments by key industry players.