Initially, 144 consortia applied for the Mobilizing Agendas for Business Innovation, within the scope of the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan. Only 51 reached the final stage and, in 2022, 31 of these Agendas were signed with the Government, with 2 consortia belonging to the Aeronautics, Space and Defence industries and in which AED is also a partner: Aero.Next and New Space Portugal.
These two Agendas will have an accumulated investment of almost 400 million euros and represent a disruptive value proposition for the Portuguese aerospace sector. These initiatives will allow the continuity of the development process of the entire business and scientific fabric in the coming years, ensuring that Portugal will be able to keep up with the technological and industrial trends of these sectors and keep creating new products, affirming its position in the international market.
AERO.NEXT
Led by EEA – Empresa de Engenharia Aeronáutica, S.A, this Agenda focuses on the aeronautical sector, aiming to develop, industrialize and operate complete aeronautical programs in Portugal.
In the Aero.Next program, 3 different products stand out: LUS 222, a light regional manned aircraft with capacity for 19 passengers, 2000 kg of cargo and 2000 km of range; an unmanned aircraft capable of operating maritime surveillance; and an advanced Air Mobility service.
This Mobilizing Agenda may generate a total of 109M€ in turnover and 72 new products, services and patents by 2027. It is also estimated that it will incorporate 20% of renewable energies and that it will have a significant impact in terms of human resources highly qualified. The total investment for this Agenda should be around 140 million euros (values still may change).
This Agenda was officially signed in July, at a presentation ceremony for the first group of Agendas approved by the Government. Miguel Braga, President of EEA and Vice-President of AED’s Board of Directors, presented the Agenda in an event that took place with the presence of the Prime Minister, António Costa, and the Minister for Economy, António Costa e Silva.
NEW SPACE PORTUGAL
Led by GeoSat, this Mobilizing Agenda aims to transform the expertise profile of the Portuguese space sector, creating new, innovative, exportable products and services with greater technological complexity and added value, mainly in the SmallSat and Earth Observation sectors.
New Space Portugal will have public support of 137 million euros (one of the highest amounts among the 51 Agendas) and is based on 5 projects that aim to leverage R&D+I activities and the value chain in the space sector. In a consortium that includes 40 co-promoters (22 companies and 18 Research and Innovation Centres), transversal initiatives dedicated to the areas of management, promotion, qualification, training and display of services will also be developed.
The total investment for this Agenda should be around 250 million euros (values still may change).