21-12-2015
IAPMEI celebrated its 40th anniversary by paying tribute to 40 companies at a ceremony which took place on 10 December at Europarque in Santa Maria da Feira. The major theme of this ceremony was 'New Challenges with Business '.
During this commemorative session, the last of a cycle of events that took place during the year 2015 to mark the 40th anniversary of IAPMEI’s activity, there was also room for an opinion on three major strategic issues for the future competitiveness of Portuguese companies - 'Collaborative networks and growth', 'Training, knowledge and open innovation' and 'Growth and new financing solutions' - and yet for a debate on 'Challenges and priorities of the company's policies'.
Professor Virgílio Cruz Machado, Chairman of FCT NOVA’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and an expert guest of IAPMEI, presented the second of these major themes: "Training, knowledge and open innovation". In his speech Professor Virgílio Cruz Machado recalled the fact that with the QREN the companies invested about € 5.5 billion, of which only 12% was allocated to research and technological development. He stressed the need, in the context of the actual Program Portugal 2020 to reduce bureaucracy, streamline the incentive system of companies and that these associate themselves and collaborate together.
