Brussels, June 8, 2026 (Lusa) - More than 40 Portuguese defence companies are showcasing their products on Monday at NATO headquarters in an effort to attract investment in the sector, whilst calls were made to increase and accelerate production.
The event, entitled Portugal Defence Industry Day, was the first of its kind to be held at NATO headquarters and was jointly organised by Portugal’s Permanent Representation to the Alliance and idD Portugal Defence, the state defence sector promoter.
From start-ups to established names, 41 Portuguese companies are showcasing their products to foreign diplomats and NATO agencies with the aim of capitalising on the business opportunities arising from the significant increase in defence investment – at last year’s Hague summit, NATO member states committed to dedicating 5% of their respective GDPs to defence by 2035.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Radmila Šekerinska emphasised that, with increased investment, there is increasingly “money on the table”, and it is now necessary to ensure that industry can respond with “more production, more steel, and more and better technology”.
“Our message to the industry is to produce more, faster and in a more coordinated manner,” she stressed, noting that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be crucial to this effort.
Although established names from the Portuguese defence industry, such as Tekever, were present at this fair, there were also several start-ups that travelled to Brussels to seek out new clients and partners, such as Navictus, represented by two former students of the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), José Pedro Figueiredo and Vasco Oliveira.
Founded in 2025, this start-up is developing a fully electric unmanned surface vessel, suitable for use in conflict zones, but also for intelligence-gathering missions or coastal patrols.
Speaking to Lusa, the two entrepreneurs said that their main aim in attending is to make contact with foreign navies, to understand their needs and experience in the sector, but also with other Portuguese companies, to incorporate other technologies into their vessel.
Start-ups such as Navictus are precisely the kind of companies Portugal is seeking to export, to ensure that investment in defence is not directed solely towards the largest European defence groups, concentrated in countries such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom or Italy.
Speaking to journalists, Portugal’s Permanent Representative to NATO, Paulo Vizeu Pinheiro, emphasised that the government has been “working hard” to ensure that NATO pays “special attention to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises”.
The ambassador stressed that the war in Ukraine has shown that innovation is crucial in times of war and that start-ups are essential for “new-era warfare”, which combines “conventional means with non-conventional means” such as drones.
“And Portugal has an important role to play, because Portugal innovates. We have small and large companies across all sectors: from drones, artificial intelligence, space, aeronautics, secure communications, new materials, to energy systems. We have the whole range here,” he listed.
Also present at the event, the head of NATO’s Military Committee, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, told journalists that it is important for Portugal to increase its defence industrial capacity as it possesses unique expertise due to its geographical location.
“It has a great deal of maritime expertise – which is very important to us – and is probably one of the regions most exposed to threats from the south,” he said, adding that it is crucial for the armed forces and industry to start cooperating to increase deterrence and defence capabilities.
TA/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
