Interview with Miguel Gil Mata, President of Produtech - “Portuguese industry stands out for its flexibility, adaptability and focus on niche markets".

European industry is currently undergoing a structural transformation not seen in decades, which represents both an opportunity and a test for Portuguese industry, says Miguel Gil Mata.The President of Produtech, the Production Technologies Cluster, a network of production technology suppliers, stresses that Europe’s reindustrialisation is driving strong competition between countries and that Portugal has been establishing itself in highly specialised sect ors, including moulds and tooling, technical textiles, mobility, aerospace, and medical devices.

The European industry is currently undergoing a period of transformation driven by digitalisation, the energy transition, and geopolitical tensions. What opportunities and challenges does this context pose for the Portuguese industry?

The European industry has undergone an unprecedented structural transformation in recent decades, prompted by three key factors: digitalisation, the energy transition, and the geopolitical reorganisation of value chains. For Portugal, this context represents both a strategic opportunity and a test of its execution capacity.

On the one hand, digitalisation enables significant productivity, efficiency, and traceability gains, creating the conditions to compete with larger economies. The energy transition, although demanding in terms of investment, offers an opportunity to reposition the industry on a more sustainable basis, aligned with European market requirements. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions and the nearshoring trend benefit countries such as Portugal, which combine proximity to the European market with institutional reliability.

However, there are significant challenges, including technology and infrastructure modernisation, lower energy costs, and, above all, skilled human resources. The speed of adaptation will be decisive in capturing these opportunities.

Given the current trend of reindustrialisation in Europe, is Portugal well-positioned to benefit from this trend?

Portugal has a potentially favourable position, but not an automatic one. The country offers important conditions: integration in the European market, a strategic geographic location, a consolidated export experience, and a growing reputation in specific industrial sectors.

However, European reindustrialisation is generating strong competition between countries for investment and the location of new production facilities. Portugal will need to accelerate reforms, simplify administrative processes, and create more attractive conditions in taxation, energy, and financing.

Read the full interview in the July/August edition of Portugalglobal Magazine.