Lisbon, June 16, 2026 (Lusa) - AICEP and the Ocean Forum are signing a cooperation agreement on Tuesday to strengthen the internationalisation of Portugal’s blue economy, promote companies in the sector in foreign markets and attract strategic investment to Portugal.
According to information released today by the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP), the agreement is being signed during the Oeiras BlueTech Ocean Forum 2026, an event bringing together business leaders, investors, research centres, policy-makers and international experts in Portugal to discuss opportunities for innovation, investment and sustainable development linked to the ocean.
According to the organisations, the partnership aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to attract investment, accelerate the internationalisation of innovative companies and promote new business projects in high value-added sectors linked to the sea, with the aim of raising the international profile of Portugal’s blue economy ecosystem.
Quoted in a press release, the president of AICEP, Madalena Oliveira e Silva, stated that the blue economy represents “one of the areas with the greatest growth potential for Portugal”, noting that the agreement strengthens the international promotion of Portuguese companies, the attraction of investment and the country’s positioning as a global centre for ocean-related innovation.
The cooperation also provides for the promotion of capacity-building, outreach and business networking initiatives, with a focus on areas such as aquaculture, marine biotechnology and renewable energy.
AICEP and Fórum Oceano note that they have already been collaborating on the international promotion of the sector through participation in events, business missions and investment attraction initiatives in strategic markets, work that has helped to increase the international visibility of Portugal’s blue economy and create opportunities for national companies.
According to the press release, the initiative comes at a time when the blue economy is playing an increasingly important role in the competitiveness and sustainability of the economy, contributing to the creation of skilled jobs, technological development and the enhancement of marine resources.
The blue economy is an economic model that promotes sustainable growth based on the preservation and responsible use of ocean and coastal resources.
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