16 projects have already been registered in the Aid Request Register (RPA), corresponding to investment intentions of 3,042 million euros. Registration with the RPA represents a pre-application for financial incentives from Portugal 2030 and the president of AICEP believes that the data indicates “a solid interest and commitment” from companies in developing investments in Portugal. For Filipe Santos Costa, this is “a pipeline solid investment in the launch of this community framework”.
At stake are large-scale national and foreign investment projects, i.e. more than 25 million euros. Companies must now formalize applications for incentives in the announcement published on October 31, with forms opening on November 2.
This is the SICE Notice – Productive Innovation – RCI – SICE-MPR-2023-06, published by Compete 2030, referring to “individual productive investment operations in innovative activities that prove to be of particular importance for the national economy, due to their impact structure for the development, diversification and internationalization of the Portuguese economy, promoted by companies”.
The period for submitting applications runs until December 31, 2024 and covers investments aimed at creating a new facility, increasing the capacity of an existing one, diversifying production or fundamentally changing the entire production process , read the announcement.
Attracting investment is one of AICEP’s priorities, especially intensive investments in capital and technology that deliver gross value added. The automotive cluster is one of them, especially when it comes to green mobility, but not only that. Filipe Santos Costa also highlights the metallurgy and metalworking sector, basic materials for chemistry or the manufacturing industry in general, agro-food, pharmaceuticals and health sciences.
“We have been very successful in everything related to metallurgy and in the internationalization of food.
Although Portugal is an importer of agricultural products, the country manages to be a net exporter of food products in many areas. I believe that due to the appreciation of the Mediterranean diet, but also because Portugal is a country in the European Union, which is a seal of quality in markets outside the EU, interest in our products is increasing. . And there is the positive effect that tourism has on the international recognition of Portuguese gastronomy and food products,” says the person in charge.
In terms of basic materials, the emphasis is on lithium and green hydrogen projects. Filipe Santos Costa doubts whether Operation Influencer – whose defendants (including Vítor Escária, former chief of staff to the Prime Minister, and Diogo Lacerda Machado, former friend of António Costa) have been charged with influence peddling – can highlight Portugal’s intentions in this area are questioned.
“Lithium for car batteries and green hydrogen for decarbonizing the economy and industry are global dynamics. I believe that no single circumstance or country will have an impact on the inevitable and necessary decarbonization and green electrification of the economy, and Portugal has a pipeline very interesting projects in this area,” he argues. And he adds: “There are very important investment plans happening across Europe right now. We are unique in that lithium deposits have been identified and deemed of sufficient quality for electric vehicle batteries. Therefore, it is an opportunity that the country has, when we talk about sustainable mobility, to develop this entire sector, from the basic materials to the vehicles, to recycling after their batteries.”
The most important thing, he said, is that Portugal does not lose the “competitive advantage” it has built up over the years “by being a pioneer country, even in the European context”, in the energy and digital transition.
When asked about AICEP’s main objectives for 2024, Filipe Santos Costa is resolute: “We must continue to work on the availability of land for industrial use and on the simplification of environmental and business permits, on the availability of interconnection and electricity supply, and on the are our three main tasks and with them we hope to attract investments in a circular, grassroots, carbon-free green industry in the automotive industry, with a focus on the entire electric vehicle sector, in life sciencesagro-industry and everything related to metallurgy.”
Ilídia Pinto is a journalist for Dinheiro Vivo
Source: DN
