At a time when digitalisation is proving vital to industrial transformation, experts, business leaders and policymakers gathered for a debate on technological innovation in industry – an event that highlighted the latest digital solutions and technical advances reshaping the market.
Technological innovation in Portugal’s industrial sector was the central theme of The Voices of Industry Conference, an initiative promoted by the Industry Club, which includes INESC TEC alongside NOS, COTEC, Porto Business School (PBS) and the Kaizen Institute. INESC TEC was represented by Pedro Senna and Vasco Teles, responsible for business development in the industrial domain, as well as António Almeida, researcher and coordinator in industrial engineering and management.
Discussing the present to prepare for the future
On 19 November, Casa da Música (Porto) welcomed around 300 participants to an event that examined the technological innovations reconfiguring production models and boosting business competitiveness. Several leaders shared experiences, presented lessons learned, and suggested solutions and opportunities for the future.
The event began with a roundtable discussion exploring “the present and future of the Portuguese shop floor”. Moderated by Pedro Machado (NOS), the panel included João Barros (Aquinos Group), José Pinho (IKEA), António Filipe (Symington Family Estates) and Gonçalo Neves (Kaizen Institute). The discussion made clear that people play a pivotal role, but investment in innovative technology is equally essential – particularly if Portuguese companies wish to compete internationally. Ultimately, all agreed that collaborative, networked work is a challenge, but one that will bring results in the long term.
Participants also had the opportunity to attend a technical presentation by André Santana, data analysis researcher at PBS, entitled “From Radical to Disruptive: What Artificial Intelligence Changes in the Core of Industry”. The expert stated that “the use of AI, in cooperation with humans, can help businesses increase productivity and achieve higher-quality results”. Although it must be applied with proper oversight, this new technology has the potential to empower companies, since “the market is transforming, and it is essential to keep up with that evolution”.
What industry must learn and teach
With a focus on reflecting on different areas of the Portuguese business landscape, the programme also featured four success stories in digital transformation. Each company presented their idea, implementation process and key results. The featured cases were Sumol Compal, Sonae MC, Bosch Car Multimedia Portugal and Amorim Cork.
To event closed with the Industry Club Awards – recognising outstanding examples of digital transformation in business settings. The winners of this first edition were Efacec, Microplásticos and Azevedos Indústria.
About the Industry Club
Created in 2024, the Industry Club is a joint initiative bringing together INESC TEC, NOS, COTEC, the Kaizen Institute and Porto Business School. The mission is to boost digital transformation and improve the competitiveness of Portuguese industry by promoting best practices, training opportunities and networking, strengthening the connection between leaders and decision-makers across the industrial sector.
The researchers mentioned in this news piece are associated with INESC TEC.
News, current topics, curiosities and so much more about INESC TEC and its community!
