PRODUTECH

PRODUTECH – Production Technologies Cluster - is an initiative promoted by the Portuguese Industry of Manufacturing Technologies. This Cluster comprises companies that are capable of addressing competitiveness and sustainability challenges by delivering innovative, flexible, integrated and competitive solutions in response to the manufacturing industry’s needs.

PRODUTECH embodies collective efficiency strategies aimed at innovating, qualifying and modernizing the developers and users of manufacturing technologies. As a key partner in several projects, PRODUTECH promotes initiatives and actions fostering the international competitiveness of the Portuguese economy, and boosts the cooperation between companies and other relevant stakeholders in a structured way.

MISSION
PRODUTECH’s mission is to promote the sustainable development and internationalization of the Portuguese industry of manufacturing technologies – such as providers of capital goods, machine-tools, industrial equipment and systems, system integrators, software houses and developers of industry-oriented computer applications, engineering and consultancy companies – in close collaboration with key sectors of the manufacturing industry, the Portuguese Science and Technology System (SCT) and other stakeholders.

ACTION PLAN

Officially recognized as a Competitiveness Cluster, PRODUTECH's intervention is supported by multi-year action programme. In line with its mission and objectives, the cluster has defined for the period 2015-2023 an Action Programme structured in 4 main strategic axes:

Axis 1: Growth, consolidation and qualification of the business base of the sector

It integrates the promotion of cooperation among Production Technologies companies and the articulation with other stakeholders via the promotion of projects, actions and initiatives aimed at the modernization of the industrial fabric and other concerted action. It includes articulations with several entities in the framework of creating support conditions, the mobilization and attraction of strategic investment, the articulation with the education system, bringing the educational/training offer closer to the needs of the sector, among others.

Axis 2: Mobilisation for cutting edge R&D+I in the sector

It integrates the deepening of strategic cooperation in the fields of R&D+I, between Production Technology companies and other stakeholders (user sectors, R&D, Education and Training entities,...), for the development of strategic projects with high technological content, promoting the integration, cross-fertilisation (intersectoral) of knowledge and technology and the valorisation of the sector's offer. The focus includes gathering critical mass, establishing synergies and increasing the efficiency/effectiveness of investments (avoiding duplication of efforts and leveraging capacities).

Axis 3: Strengthening the visibility and internationalisation of the sector

It integrates the reinforcement of the national and international visibility of the sector and its internationalisation. It includes the demonstration of the capacities held by the sector, the promotion of its insertion in global R&D+I networks and global supply chains, actions in the fields of interclusterisation, the promotion of missions of strategic interest and investment attraction, and connection to international movements, among others.

Axis 4: Promoting access to strategic information in the sector

It includes the promotion of value-added services and initiatives for the sector's capacity building, namely in terms of information and strategic intelligence and the development of knowledge in areas relevant to the sector, e.g. in the context of (i) access to global value chains, (ii) new financing models for the sale of the sector's production technologies to clients, (iii) the strengthening of engineering skills, (iv) turnkey solutions for the manufacturing industry clients ("one-stop-shop" solutions) and/or (v) the upgrading of supply geared towards market specificities.

The articulated implementation of the axes directly aims at the cluster mission and the 3 strands that brand the cluster initiative:

1. COOPERATION – This is the corner stone of the initiative and it includes:

- new forms of cooperation between technology providers, aiming at delivering integrated and high added value products and services. Cooperation is also extended to domains, such as internationalization, education and training.

- cooperation between manufacturing technology companies and client industries. The aim is to design and develop new products and services in response to the challenges induced by the transformation process that is currently in course in the manufacturing industry, in Europe and worldwide.

- cooperation between companies and science and technology organizations, research centers and other institutions of the Portuguese Science and Technology System, ensuring the deployment of key technologies and the convergence of knowledge towards the emergence of new products/services and skilled human resources that respond to the economy’s development needs.

2. INNOVATION – The Action Plan promotes innovation by boosting an integrated set of projects and actions aimed at ensuring solid and sustainable competitive advantages for the medium term, while responding at the same time to short-term needs by making a better use of existing information from:

- very short-term projects, including actions to align and integrate current products, services and solutions from different providers and thus deliver more complete and complex solutions (higher added value).

- short-term projects aiming at transferring and adapting current technologies to other industrial sectors, and taking these innovations to other sectors as well.

- medium-term projects with applied R&D towards the development of new solutions.

- long-term projects where the aim is to develop and adapt emerging technologies (e.g. nanotechnology applications).

3. INTERNATIONALIZATION – This priority encompasses several dimensions:

- the internationalization of businesses and companies’ activities, for instance, fostering a wider and deeper market penetration at an international level.

- the internationalization of cooperation networks by promoting, for instance, the identification of potential partners in order to create and expand international strategic partnerships.

- the internationalization of technology and knowledge sources through the participation in international R&D networks and projects, as well as via technology transfer and cooperation with key international organizations.

RESULTS
- The Portuguese Manufacturing Technology sector is improved by (1) designing, developing, producing and selling new, technologically advanced and higher added value products and services in national and international markets, (2) by promoting the growth of existing companies and (3) creating new ones;

- Competitiveness and added value increase for enterprises and end-users boosted by the use of new manufacturing technologies;

- The balance of payments is improved by reducing technology imports and increasing exports;

- R&D levels, performance and efficiency are improved by increasing not only the private sector’s expenditure in R&D, but also its ability to extract value from such investments.

- The collaboration between companies and the Portuguese Science and Technology System is strengthened by promoting partnerships and networks;

- Industry participation in national and international R&D projects becomes more dynamic;

- The ability to participate and influence international forums is increased, particularly with working groups, technology platforms and standardization committees;

- Portugal’s image is renewed and the country will be known as a provider of innovative and high added value technology.

Related content: Associates; The Association

Sections

PRODUTECH