Monday, 11/27/2017
The IAPMEI – Agency for Competitiveness and
Innovation recently recognised 20 national competitiveness clusters. The
Portuguese Agrofood Cluster is the highlight of this edition and counts on the
intervention of the School of Engineering of the University of Minho (EEUM).
Strengthening
the competitiveness of companies in the agrofood sector by increasing their
technological index, promoting the production, transfer, application and
valorisation of knowledge oriented to innovation; and promoting the
internationalisation of companies in the sector through their training as well
as identification and attraction of new project opportunities are the two main
axes of the Portugal Foods association’s mission.
The first
steps towards the creation of this cluster occurred about nine years ago, at
the time by an entity called Integralar Association – an association created by
companies and entities of the scientific system for the agrofood sector. This
association quickly evolved into the brand now known as Portugal Foods, which,
together with InovCluster, AgroCluster and PortugalFresh, created the
Portuguese Agrofood Cluster. This cluster has a national dimension – with
Portugal Foods as the leading promoter – and counts on the Federation of
Portuguese Agrofood Industries to preside over the Strategic Council.
“Portugal
Foods – which is the lead entity in this process – is focused on the
transformation as far as food industry is concerned. It is an entity that promotes
a strong internationalisation component and is very focused on R&D&I in
sector, which stimulates cooperation between entities of the scientific system
and companies”, José Teixeira, President of the Scientific Council of Portugal
Foods and EEUM’s representative through the Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB),
explained.
Regarding the
relevance of the aggregation of competencies in multisectorial clusters, José
Teixeira has no doubt that this union “is the place where people can meet and
discuss ideas. The cluster is also an integration entity that helps promoting
the contact between industry and scientific system entities, seeking to discourage
a certain isolation that may occur at this level”.
This cluster
counts on the participation of the Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB) and the
Institute of Polymers and Composites (IPC), both from the EEUM. It also counts
on the participation of 153 companies and associations of the agrofood sector,
12 entities of the national scientific system and five invited entities.
In February
2017, within the presentation of the Interface Programme, the Portuguese
Agrofood Cluster was recognised by the Portuguese Government as a
Competitiveness Clusters, along with other 19 national Clusters.
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info: http://www.portugalfoods.org/