The Palácio da Bolsa in Porto hosted the AICEP Forum 2026 on September 30th, themed “Portugal in the global market: competitiveness and future”. The event covered the country's international promotion, the EU-Mercosur Agreement, the Portugal Brand, exploration of new markets, and the integration of international companies in Portugal.
In the session “Promoting Portugal with Purpose: Aligning priorities to strengthen international recognition”, Paulo Rios de Oliveira, AICEP's executive administrator, highlighted Portugal's security and competence, emphasizing its role in the European Union and AICEP's function. "Portugal is a safe and stable country. It is known for knowing how to do things. The world knows we are competent, that we know how to do things and we do them well", he stated.
The EU-Mercosur Agreement was analyzed by José Rijo, a law professor at the Catholic University of Portugal, and Chris Ruff, Policy Coordinator DG Trade, moderated by Carlos Pacheco, Director of the AICEP Academy. The discussion focused on trade barriers, export opportunities, and investment in the markets of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The strategic importance of the Portugal Brand was reinforced by Francisco Teixeira, Country Manager of Grupo WWP in Portugal, and Fernando Daniel Nunes, CEO of Vista Alegre, moderated by Carlos Sá Carneiro from AICEP. Francisco Teixeira noted that "brands aiming for internationalization and success must focus on differentiation with relevance and on achieving the highest esteem beyond mere knowledge”.
New opportunities in Angola, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea were presented by Joana Barros, Guilherme Lopes, and Hélio Campos, AICEP delegates in their respective markets, moderated by Bruno Paes Moreira, AICEP's executive administrator. The potential for Portuguese companies to grow in these markets was discussed.
The integration of new suppliers into the value chain of multinational companies present in Portugal was explored by Rui Almeida, Global Procurement Director at Hovione, and Vitor Gorni, Purchasing Manager at WEG, moderated by Pedro Pinto de Sousa from AICEP.
