A resilient Europe depends on a strong manufacturing industry. How? INESC TEC helped provide the answer

An event promoted by the Manufuture Technology Platform in Brussels brought together 130 participants to discuss the role and impact of Europe’s manufacturing industry in shaping the continent’s future.

The future of the European manufacturing industry was at the heart of the Manufuture Conference, held in Brussels, with contributions from INESC TEC. Bringing together representatives from industry, academia, R&D institutions, business associations and policymakers, the event also aimed to examine the major challenges to humanity – and Europe, in particular – like resource scarcity, environmental impact, circularity, defence, security and autonomy, as well as migration, among others. 

Among the 130 participants was José Carlos Caldeira, adviser to INESC TEC’s Board of Directors, who highlighted the need (in the context of the current and upcoming public funding Framework Programmes) to “support this pillar of the European economy, both at European and national/regional level”. INESC TEC currently chairs the executive committee of the Manufuture Technology Platform, which organised the event. However, the cooperation dates to 2003, when the European think tank – now with around 100 members – was first established. 

“One clear takeaway from the Manufuture Conference is that a resilient, sustainable and competitive Europe cannot exist without a high-quality manufacturing industry. This sector is the backbone of the European economy, a source of prosperity and wellbeing for citizens, and strengthening it is essential,” stated José Carlos Caldeira. This strengthening, as he suggested, can be achieved by investing in the innovation ecosystem, prioritising public investment and attracting private capital, as well as by promoting collaborative R&D&I initiatives that help transform knowledge into products and services, combining innovation with industrialisation capacity. 

INESC TEC’s participation also took place through the representation of the Mobilising Agenda for for the Production Technologies Sector for Reindustrialization (PRODUTECH R3), of which the Institute is a partner. In this context, the main objective was to foster internationalisation and disseminate the outcomes of the project. As a privileged stage for a European audience, the project sought to “enhance the visibility and impact of promoted actions at the European level”, strengthening international recognition of Portugal’s manufacturing technologies value chain. 

The event also provided an opportunity to present solutions developed within the scope of the project, particularly in three key areas: production, logistics, and sustainability and circular economy – generating new prospects for collaboration with international partners.