ACEA

- PORTUGAL

An important, forward-looking producer

Portugal is a significant automobile producer, a little known fact but one which is supported by an annual production of all types of motor vehicles of 227,325 units in 2006. Output at this level explains why the automotive industry is Portugal’s biggest exporter and accounts for 7% of the country’s gross domestic product.

It also helps to explain the industry’s very respectable turnover of more than €4 billion per year and employment of more than 40,000 workers in about 180 companies. Production of passenger cars in 2006 was 143,478, of light trucks 78,472 and of heavy trucks 5,248. These products emerged from five assembly plants (VW, Mitsubishi Trucks, Opel, Toyota Motor Europe and PSA Peugeot Citroen).

Leading global component suppliers are well represented in Portugal including Visteon, Delphi Automotive systems, Robert Bosch, Faurecia, Lear and Johnson Controls. Most of them are clustered around Oporto and between Braga and Setubal.

The sector is forward looking and benefits from several important ongoing R&D initiatives and support programmes. The Centre for Excellence and Innovation in the auto industry (CEIIA) was created to support the development of technical know-how and strategic competencies of companies active in the sector, identifying potential business, technological and financial synergies amongst industry players. The INAUTO initiative, a specific program within CEIA, was created to promote cohesive practices and measures between public policy and the industry. Under the INAUTO program, over €7 million is being invested in developing the technological, research and organization capabilities for a state-of-the-art automotive cluster in Portugal.