Lisbon, April 12, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal’s aeronautics, space, and defence sectors currently export 92% of their production and are projected to grow by more than 10%, reaching new record highs in turnover and employment, according to José Neves, president of the aeronautics, space, and defence cluster.
In an interview with Lusa conducted prior to the ceasefire agreement between the US, Israel, and Iran, he detailed the sector’s increasing weight in the national economy and its strong international focus, saying that “92% of what is produced is exported”.
Asked about the main destinations for these exports, he identified Brazil as the primary destination, largely due to Embraer’s production in Portugal and the close relationship with the country.
Other major markets include Spain, France, and Germany, driven by companies like Airbus that maintain operations in Portugal.
According to him, the latest figures, for 2024, point to a turnover of €2.1 billion and around 20,000 jobs, with growth of at least 10% expected in 2025.
The cluster currently comprises around 180 entities, including companies, universities and research centres specialising in aeronautics, space and defence, reflecting the sector's growth over the last decade.
Neves also said that Portugal had been strengthening its industrial capabilities in various areas, from aeronautics to space, including the development of satellites, drones and communications systems.
“We are now manufacturing satellites and satellite launchers, something that was perhaps unimaginable 10 years ago,” he said.
He highlighted Portugal’s deep integration into global value chains, with components produced in Portugal being incorporated into aircraft by global manufacturers, saying that every aircraft produced by Embraer, Airbus, and Boeing, for example, now carries components manufactured in Portugal.
He also emphasised the importance of coordination between industry, the state and the Armed Forces to sustain the sector’s growth.
“It is the triangle between industry, the Armed Forces and the government,” he said, calling for greater alignment between operational needs and industrial development.
He added that the joint effort was essential to ensure that Portugal developed its own capabilities and increased domestic involvement in major defence projects.
In that context, he said that the defence and aerospace sector could play a significant role in Portuguese exports, much as other industrial sectors do.
Additionally, he acknowledged that defence exports currently accounted for less than 1% of the total, a figure he described as low.
“We are talking about drones and communications systems, but in the future, we will have satellites, launchers and aircraft.
So, we will have a much broader range”, he said, expressing an ambition to see this figure rise to 2% or 3% within the next 10 years.
Drawing a comparison with the automotive industry's impact on the national economy, he said that Autoeuropa accounted for 3% of national exports, and that the defence sector could follow a similar trajectory.
"At this moment, 95% of cars produced in Europe contain components manufactured in Portugal. Therefore, we also want to have that ambition in the defence sector," he said.
According to him, that growth would also depend on attracting investment, developing products with higher added value, and strengthening the pool of skilled human resources.
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