Led by a contingent of senior government ministers, Portugal’s vibrant and growing aerospace industry is on a mission at the Paris Air Show, exhibiting in tandem with AED Cluster Portugal (AEDCP) and other national industry groups. Founded in 2016, AEDCP represents more than 60 entities and some 18,000 highly qualified jobs, generating some €1.7 billion ($1.1 billion) in annual revenues, of which 80 percent is derived from exports.
“Our objective is to reinforce the presence of Portuguese industry on the world stage,” said AEDCP managing director Rui Santos. “This is an evolving sector that is increasingly becoming a key factor to the evolution of the Portuguese economy.”
Also taking part in Portugal’s display (Hall 3 Stand C3) are idD, an association of the country’s defense industries, and the newly created Portugal Space Agency. The delegation is led by Minister of National Defense Dr. João Gomes Cravinho; Minister of Science, Technology, and Higher Education Dr. Manuel Heitor; and Secretary of State of Internationalization Dr. Eurico Brilhante, and is presenting a full agenda of activities this week in Paris.
On Tuesday at the show, “Portugal Meets the World” features network meetings among AEDCP and other global clusters. Wednesday’s “Portugal France Meeting,” hosted by Portuguese Ambassador to France, Dr. Jorge Torres Pereira, brings together Portuguese and French companies for informal networking sessions.