Portugal strengthens its position in the European electronics industry

The expansion of the KEENFINITY factory in Ovar is one of these news. It is not just about more square meters or another institutional inauguration. This is a strategic decision that positions Portugal, once again, at the centre of European high value-added industry.

KEENFINITY Electronics Manufacturing Services has decided to significantly expand its Ovar facility, both in size and ambition. The objective is clear: to double the factory's turnover in the next five years, create highly qualified employment and strengthen skills in research, development, and engineering. In a European context marked by the need to strengthen industrial autonomy and the resilience of supply chains, this commitment takes on even greater significance.

The inauguration of the new extension of the building, with an additional 3,800 square meters of production area, was attended by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, and national and local political leaders. The message was unequivocal: this unit is relevant not only for KEENFINITY, but for the regional economy, for the innovation ecosystem and for Portugal's positioning in the European technology industry.

What distinguishes this investment is its depth. The Ovar plant, with more than 50 years of industrial legacy and Bosch heritage, is not limited to production. KEENFINITY is evolving into a Joint Development Manufacturing model, in which design, engineering, software and production go hand in hand. This means that Portugal is no longer just a place where you manufacture and becomes a place where you create, develop and decide.

The collaboration with the University of Porto and INL, within the scope of an innovation program that ended during the ceremony, is a concrete example of how the connection between industry, academia and public policies can generate real value. It is this type of ecosystem that makes it possible to attract sustainable investment and create qualified employment, instead of competing only on cost.

KEENFINITY's ambition is also a signal to the market. The Ovar unit is being prepared to serve demanding and highly regulated sectors, such as the medical, in addition to continuing to support areas such as security, mobility, industry and building technologies. By doing so, the company strengthens European industrial competitiveness and reduces external dependencies at a time when this has become a strategic priority.

Portugal clearly benefits from this movement. It benefits because it has talent, it benefits because it has stability, it benefits because it has a solid industrial base and it benefits because it is increasingly being seen as a long-term partner and not just as a short-term solution.

In a country where the need for reindustrialization is so often talked about, this investment shows that it is already happening, quietly but consistently. Ovar is not just a bigger factory. It is a sign that Portugal is moving up the European industrial value chain, with a real impact on the economy, employment, and the country's technological future.