In this new industrial paradigm, companies that develop production technologies play a central and, in many cases, strategic role in European technological sovereignty.
Europe faces a strategic choice: either to lead the final phase of the Fourth Industrial Revolution or to accept growing dependence on the technological and manufacturing sovereignty of other regions. In the wake of the pandemic, the energy crisis and growing geopolitical fragmentation in Europe, technological sovereignty has ceased to be an abstract concept and has become a prerequisite for economic security and competitiveness. Technologies such as advanced computing, industrial cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and semiconductors have become strategic assets. In this new context, Portuguese companies have a rare opportunity to integrate into European digital value chains and assert their technological capabilities in areas crucial to Europe’s industrial autonomy.
Recognising that technological sovereignty increasingly depends on the ability to bring innovation to industry, Europe has begun to build a new generation of digital and industrial infrastructure. On-demand AI platforms, regulatory testing environments (AI sandboxes), shared industrial data spaces, and digital toolboxes are creating the conditions to accelerate technological adoption by businesses and reduce critical dependencies in strategic areas. The provision of this infrastructure is profoundly changing European industrial policy, placing digital supply chains, data processing capacity and access to technological infrastructure at the heart of economic sovereignty and industrial competitiveness. Today, the manufacturing industry accounts for over 14% of European GDP and employs around 35 million people, but faces a global race accelerated by industrial digitalisation, advanced automation and the reorganisation of technological value chains.
In this new industrial paradigm, companies developing production technologies play a central and, in many cases, strategic role in European technological sovereignty. It is through them that advanced industrial software, autonomous systems, operational optimisation platforms and intelligent monitoring solutions reach the shop floor and transform industrial operations into more efficient, flexible and resilient systems. In this context, the PRODUTECH R3 Mobilisation Agenda, supported by the PRR, is particularly relevant, as it accelerates the application of these technologies in a real industrial environment. Solutions such as intelligent remote assistance systems for industrial logistics, dynamic production scheduling algorithms, virtual industrial simulation models, and automatic defect inspection systems demonstrate how the integration of advanced software, industrial data, and automation has become a critical factor in the competitiveness of Portuguese industry.
Achieving this industrial innovation cycle requires continuous investment, the capacity for technological experimentation, and strong coordination between industry, the scientific community and the innovation ecosystem. European funds have been instrumental in accelerating this process, not only as financing instruments but also as mechanisms for economic leverage that can transform knowledge into industrial value, competitiveness, and export capacity. Programmes supported by the PRR and by European reindustrialisation initiatives have made it possible to reduce the risk associated with adopting advanced technologies, accelerate the transfer of knowledge to the market, and create collaborative ecosystems geared towards productivity, technological differentiation and the creation of added value. It is in this context that the contribution of the CCG/ZGDV Institute takes on particular strategic importance.
In a landscape where industrial competitiveness increasingly depends on the ability to translate knowledge into practical applications, the CCG/ZGDV Institute has established itself as a key player in the national research and innovation ecosystem. Its work at the intersection of software engineering, applied intelligence and industrial systems has enabled it to support companies in adopting advanced technological solutions geared towards productivity gains, operational efficiency and sustainability. More than just developing technology, the CCG/ZGDV Institute has helped to align applied research with the specific needs of industry, strengthening the capacity of the Portuguese manufacturing and production technologies cluster to integrate a new generation of industrial value chains that are more digital, connected, resilient and technologically sovereign.
Opinion Article by
Ana Lima, Technical Director and Executive Management Board Member of CCG/ZGDV
