Guimaraes, Portugal, May 5, 2026 (Lusa) - Guimaraes council and the Portuguese Engineering and Product Development Centre (CEiiA) have signed a loan agreement on Tuesday to set up the country's first optical satellite factory in the former Alto Factory in Pevidem, an industrial village in northern Portugal.
In a statement released on Monday, the council said the contract "marks the formal start of the country's first optical satellite factory, to be installed in the former Fábrica do Alto, where rehabilitation works are already underway," adding that the "project positions Guimarães as a reference in the space economy."
The council expects the "new facility will be dedicated to the assembly, integration and testing of satellites, with a direct impact on the creation of qualified jobs, the diversification of the industrial and economic fabric and the positioning of Guimarães as a strategic hub in the aerospace sector."
"What we signed is much more than a document, it is a strategic commitment to the future of Guimarães and its residents," the mayor, Ricardo Araujo, said in a statement during the ceremony at the town hall. Before the session, officials visited the future facilities where workers are converting the former industrial unit into a technological centre for the aerospace sector. This project symbolises the link between the industrial memory of Pevidém and a new generation of industry based on innovation, knowledge and technology. "Guimarães does not want to stay on the sidelines of the sectors that are redesigning the economy and technological sovereignty of the country and Europe. We want to be at the forefront," he said, highlighting the council's ambition to gain prominence in a high-value strategic sector.
The investment is part of the council strategy to develop the aerospace sector alongside CEiiA, the University of Minho and industrial partners within the Guimarães Space Hub. This reinforces an ecosystem that combines research, industry and innovation. Also quoted in the statement, secretary of state for the economy, João Rui Ferreira, highlighted the partnership's reach.
"Installing a hub with this capacity for innovation, talent and business dynamics will have positive effects on the existing economic fabric," he said. "It will attract new startups, generate investment and put Guimarães on the map of a global sector that should soon exceed $1 trillion."
According to the Guimarães council statement, he also stressed the country's strategic positioning in the space sector. "Portugal does not want to be a spectator in the space sector, it wants to be an actor. This investment represents exactly that ambition," he said.
CEiiA CEO, José Rui Felizardo, placed the new factory within the context of National Space Strategy. "We are combining technological knowledge, industrial capacity and testing infrastructure with an international partner like OHB (Bremen-based space and technology group), reinforcing Portugal's ambition to establish itself as one of the leading countries in the space area in Europe," he said.
Guimarães council says the optical satellite factory in Pevidém represents a decisive step in consolidating an aerospace ecosystem. This complements other investments in the municipality, such as the Arquinho Factory, which is already at an advanced stage dedicated to research and producing knowledge.
This infrastructure "strengthens the link between science and the real economy, promotes industrialisation, attracts investment and creates conditions to retain skilled talent in the area."
JGS/LYT // AYLS
Lusa
