2025 will be a turning year based on investment

2025 will be a "turning year for Portugal, the operative word being investment", stated the Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro at the end of a visit to the US semiconductor factory Amkor located in Vila do Conde and which is investing 150 million euros in sizing up its capabilities and hiring more workers. 

The Prime Minister defined investment as the key word for 2025, stressing the need for public investment to modernise infrastructure and foster equal opportunities; private investment to foster innovation and corporate competitiveness, and foreign investment to showcase Portugal as an attractive destination for global capital.

Luís Montenegro recalled that over the last decade and a half, Portugal has been through "a great ordeal and is now on par with the top performers" in Europe, now having to "seize the opportunity to be in better conditions than others. He also added that, despite being one of the safest countries in the world, it is also a "financial stability benchmark, to which we add political stability".

Amkor Technology Portugal shows how foreign investment coupled with national talent and capabilities can set up areas of excellence in Portugal, especially in strategic sectors such as semiconductors. 

Semiconductors are a vital industry for Europe, as shown in the Draghi report, placing Portugal as a potential leader in this critical matter, reinforcing the country’s relevance. 

Amkor is the European leader in assembling and testing semiconductors, an essential sector for technology, automotive and aerospace industry. The factory is the only one for assembling and testing semiconductors in Europe focusing on advanced encapsulation, covering the entire value chain – from design through to implementing multiple technological solutions, and serving primarily the automotive, telecoms, security, and aerospace markets.

The company recently took up a 150-million-euro investment with AICEP, boosting its production capacity, consolidating its leading position in the sector, and fostering the creation of new qualified jobs to add to the already 800 existing ones.

The Prime Minister, who was with the Minister of Economy Pedro Reis also visited the Nelo Kayaks factory, a Portuguese company that is global leader in manufacturing high-performance kayaks. 

With over 80% of its production for exports, Nelo Kayaks is an example of how innovation and technological excellence can take Portugal’s name to the global market, strengthening the role of sports as a strategic economic sector. Nelo Kayaks’s success reflects Portuguese companies’ potential to compete internationally and create value for the local economy. 

This model of excellence is also a concrete example of the goals of the 65-million-euro programme for sports announced by the Government for 2024-2028. The aim of the programme is to encourage sports as a tool for social inclusion, public health catalyser, and a driver for economic development, incentivising new initiatives and talent in the sector.

These visits reflect the Government’s commitment to attract foreign capital, foster innovation and enhance examples of success that consolidate Portugal as a competitive, inclusive country, prepared to take on the global challenges. 

While Amkor Technology Portugal is fundamental to place the country as a strategic hub in the semiconductor industry, Nelo Kayaks illustrates how investing in specific areas, such as sports, can generate social and economic impact beyond the competitions, promoting Portugal’s international visibility, sports tourism, and new exporting opportunities. 

The Government thereby reinforces its commitment to support the companies that place Portugal as a world leader in their sectors and inspire new generations of champions and entrepreneurs to come.