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Portugal won the prize for the Best Organic Bread in the World at the World Bakery Championship in Italy. Portugal has the Best Organic and Nutritional Bread in the world. The SIGEP championshiop (Feira Internacional de Padaria, Pastelaria e Gelado) distinguished the Padaria Dias bakery with the Award of the Best Organic and Nutritional Bread in the world. According to the celebrity bakers, the Portuguese bread contains the flavors of Serra da Estrela, thus obtaining the name Rosa Negra, meaning black rose, that is the name of one of the most iconic regions of the Serra da Estrela mountain range in Central Portugal. #BestOrganicBreadintheWorld #portugalbestorganicbread #WorldBakeryChampionship #SIGEP #PadariaDias #RosaNegrabread #madeinportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

A Portugal archeological finding shows that Neanderthals ate seafood. The finding shows that Neanderthals lived 90,000 years ago in a seafront cave in Portugal and feasted on crabs cooked over coals, according to a report by CNN in their Space & Science segment. The CNN report states that the finding is significant because it supports the evidence that seafood contributes to brain growth, which could be a factor for the appearance of the Homo sapiens species. Archaeologists excavated the Gruta da Figueira Brava in Setúbal, that is 32 kilometers south of Lisbon, and found remains of shellfish; including those from the brown crab known as the Cancer Pagurus, a species that is still on the menu in Portugal, Spain, Italy and France. #archeologicalfindingportugal #Neanderthals #CNN #GrutadaFigueiraBrava #shellfishneanderthals #archeologyportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

Portuguese cement company Secil will be issuing Green Bonds totaling EUR 75 million in order to finance its Clean Cement Line (CCL) that is produced in Setúbal in southern Portugal. Portuguese company Secil (Companhia Geral de Cal e Cimento) obtained two debenture loans under its Secil Green Bonds 2030, one at a fixed-rate and the other at a floating rate. The bonds will be issued until January 25th 2024 with a maturity of up to seven years. The Clean Cement Line is produced according to an innovative technology that makes it possible to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. The sustainable product will provide increased energy efficiency as well as a low-carbon clinker that will lead to a range of cements that will have a low ecological impact. Secil is a Portuguese company that produces and sells cement, concrete, aggregates, mortars and hydraulic lime. The company also operates in the circular economy sector with the use of waste products as an energy source. #Secil #GreenBonds #CleanCementLine #sustainableconcrete #greenconcrete #sustainableconcreteportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

The top electric vehicle sales 2023 in Portugal from Stellantis that is a market leader. With a market share of 29.3% and a number of brands including Peugeot, Opel, Citroën, Maserati and Jeep, the company registered 4.937 vehicles in January, out of which 707 electric vehicles were registered with a share of 17.7% for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). In January, Stellantis positioned four of its brands in the Top 10 of domestic sales, namely Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat and Opel. Peugeot is the best-selling brand in January 2023, with sales reaching 1.888 units and a market share of 11.2%. The French brand is a favorite for Portuguese customers for passenger cars with a share of 9.1% and for light commercial vehicles with a share of 25.4%. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/top-electric-vehicle-sales-2023-in-portugal #topelectricvehiclesales2023Portugal #Stellantis #bestsellingcarbrandportugal #electricvehiclesportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners will invest EUR 8 billion in offshore wind energy in Figueira da Foz, Portugal. The Nortada project by the Danish investment fund is to produce 2 GW and it will be the first large-scale offshore wind farm in Portugal. Figueira da Foz is one of the five zones designated by the Portuguese government for producing offshore wind energy. Copenhagen Offshore Partners, that will be responsible for operations, develops offshore wind projects around the world and leads in innovative offshore wind technologies. This includes the Changfang and Xidao projects which will power approximately 650,000 Taiwanese households and the Vineyard Wind 1 project which will be the first commercial scale offshore wind farm in the United States. #CopenhagenInfrastructurePartners #offshorewindportugal #Nortadaproject #renewableenergyportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

Portuguese insurance broker MDS bought Pacific Insurance. The Portuguese multinational will keep the brand identity as well as the management of Pacific Insurance. This acquisition will strengthen their leadership in the market segment. Pacific Insurance has a portfolio of four thousand clients, out of which 20% are companies that operate in the fields of services, transport and construction. In 2022, Pacific Insurance managed a portfolio of insurance premiums amounting to EUR 4 million, closing the financial year with revenues of EUR 700 thousand. #MDS #PacificInsurance #insurancesectorportugal #investmentsportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/350ppm-biotech-move-to-portugal #350ppmBiotech #PortugalBusinessNews #portugalbusinessesnews #portugalnews

Mastercard just announced their partnership agreement with Portuguese start-up Ubirider to provide Mobility-as-a-Service solutions for transit operators globally. According to Mastercard, the collaboration with Portuguese company Ubirider will focus on creating more efficient and sustainable digital payment and ticketing solutions for transport operators. Portuguese payment solution Ubirider will be exported globally by Mastercard. According to StartUp Portugal, after the pilot projects in Évora and with Fertagus, the Tap-on-Phone contactless payment solution of the Pick Hub app is now being launched globally. The technology developed by the startup Ubirider transforms a smartphone into a payment terminal that is simpler, faster and more accessible than traditional systems that are based on heavy and expensive hardware. The agreement between Mastercard and Ubirider, the Portugal-based developers of Pick, that is a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform, the partners will jointly offer innovative digital solutions that combine operational, payment and ticketing resources for public transport operators. Mastercard stated that this partnership would expand on the early success of the products in Portugal to simplify access and payments for mobility services. The MaaS platform Pick, which comprises mobile applications, cloud software and web portals, incorporates state-of-the-art payment technologies that benefit users in terms of convenience. “Mastercard works with partners around the world to help people move around urban environments seamlessly. In that spirit, we partnered with Ubirider both because their digital and multi-modal solutions align closely with our vision, and because the Ubirider platform directly addresses rapidly evolving user and transit operator needs," said Chapin Flynn, Senior Vice President, Transit and Mobility of Mastercard. The management of public transport systems varies from country to country, but there is a common thread between almost all public transport operators: all of them struggle to manage and integrate several technological platforms into their operation. These challenges include the management of schedules, drivers and services offered, while communicating information to the public as well as issuing tickets, accepting payments and issuing invoices and receipts. The platform Pick by Ubirider combines all these functions in an integrated digital environment, not only saving time and costs, but also improving efficiency as it integrates all operational data into a single application. Pick also includes a powerful payment management system, which allows passengers to buy trips involving multi-modal mobility services by aggregated payment that is immediately distributed by the operators involved, reducing payment friction and time for passengers, as well as administrative costs and burdens for operators. In addition, Pick offers transport operators advanced contactless payment technologies, such as Tap-on-Phone, a PCI-certified and secure software technology that transforms a smartphone into a simple payment terminal; that are more powerful and affordable than traditional systems which are based on heavy and expensive hardware. The Mastercard and Ubirider partnership has allowed Fertagus, the operator of suburban trains in the Lisbon metropolitan area that handles more than 2.8 million passengers per month, to also adopt the Pick platform. Through this platform, more than 30% of ticket sales were transacted in the first 10 months in a clear demonstration of adoption by users who consider the application useful and easy to navigate. “We have been working with Mastercard for some time in Portugal and this agreement is the result of successful cases that we have achieved together, but also of the conviction that our digital Mobility-as-a-Service platform, Pick, is ready to compete successfully around the world,” said Paulo Ferreira dos Santos, CEO and Founder of Ubirider, adding that “the relationship with Mastercard allows Ubirider to continue to incorporate the most advanced payment technologies and allows us a global reach in terms of market opportunities.” Ubirider's Pick Hub app, that is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, allows users to plan their door-to-door trips, pay for their tickets and travel to any destination, anywhere, using the best combination. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/mastercard-announces-partnership-with-portuguese-ubirider #Mastercard #Ubirider #Portuguesestartups #digitalpayment #StartUpPortugal #Fertagus #taponphonecontactlesspayment #Pick #MobilityasaService #MaaS #mobileapplications #paymentmanagementsystem #contactlesspaymenttechnologies #PickHubapp #digitalportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

Portuguese bike manufacturer Carbon Team is highlighted by Bloomberg with the company producing high end, super light carbon fiber frames for “Made in Europe” bikes. Bloomberg reports that bicycle sales in Europe jumped more than 10% in 2020, with retailers turning to Asia to meet demand. Under the helm of Emre Ozgunes, Portuguese company Carbon Team is expected to gain an edge over producers in Asia whose transport costs have been rising, with delivery times sometimes stretching to more than a year. With a niche market of carbon-fiber frames and faster delivery times, the company is supplying growing demand in a global context facing supply bottlenecks. According to Maeva Cousin, a senior economist at Bloomberg Economics, the “production of some goods like motorcycles, bicycles or jewelry, points to some small pockets of manufacturing returning to Europe.” The “Made in Europe” brand is in demand and competition is not about price anymore. In 2019, Portugal unseated Italy to become Europe’s biggest bicycle manufacturer. The industry employs about 10,000 people in Portugal and exports have grown more than 30% in each of the past two years, according to Portuguese bike association ABIMOTA. In 2019, Carbon Team built an €8 million factory in Campia, north of Lisbon, and the company is now investing a further €5 million to expand. Emre Ozgunes expects to almost triple staff this year as production is set to jump from 3,500 frames to 18,000 frames in 2024. Sales from Carbon Team are expected to increase two-fold to reach €10 million. The Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry predicts that, by 2030, up to 20% of carbon frames sold in the region could be manufactured in Europe. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/portuguese-bike-manufacturer-carbon-team-set-to-dethrone-asia #CarbonTeam #MadeinEuropebikes #BloombergEconomics #Bloomberg #MadeinEuropebrand #ABIMOTA #ConfederationoftheEuropeanBicycleIndustry #madeinportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

Portugal is investing EUR 3.4 million in a new Maritime Control Centre (CMAR), out of which EUR 2.5 million comes from the MAR 2020 program. The new Control Centre will improve the surveillance of the sea under Portugal’s responsibility. The Secretary of State for the Sea, José Maria Costa, just signed the contract agreement for the design and construction of the Control Centre. With this new Centre, Portugal will have the response capacity required for the surveillance and monitoring of navigation, while also providing capacity building for the Portuguese flag fleet. The EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy comes with a set of challenges linked to Portugal’s accountability as a coastal state. With this new development, Portugal will have a stand-by response capacity and will have a higher service standard for both ships and security. The Control Centre will strengthen maritime surveillance as well as pollution prevention, including in marine protected areas. Portugal’s maritime area requires the monitoring of over 80,000 large vessels, a number of which carry dangerous goods. Over 15,000 vessels carrying hazardous cargo call at Portuguese ports. Portugal’s new Maritime Control Centre will be operational in August 2023 and will integrate the Maritime Traffic Control Centre, the Fisheries Monitoring Centre as well as control and surveillance activities. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/portugal-invests-eur-3-4-million-in-a-new-maritime-control-centre #maritimecontrolcentre #MAR2020 #maritimesurveillance #maritimesurveillanceportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

At the WEF 2023 Annual Meeting, an agenda article by Maarten Wetselaar described 7 reasons why Portugal and Spain are about to become a Green Hydrogen Powerhouse. The WEF agenda article states that Portuguese and Spanish green hydrogen is not only highly cost-effective, but it is also a flexible fuel that can meet the EU energy needs. Make no mistake, Europe needs clean hydrogen and the current energy crisis can be a turning point in the fight against climate change. While solar panels and wind turbines contribute to a fifth of the energy consumed, much more energy needs to be converted to meet the EU electricity needs. A number of sectors still rely heavily on fossil fuels, and these include inland freight, shipping, aviation and heavy industry to name a few. This is why green hydrogen is seen as an essential source of energy and it has the added advantage of being carbon neutral. It can be carried across borders via pipelines, as well as be compressed or liquefied. The report states that, while it can be used in air and sea transport, it can also be converted into biofuels like biodiesel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), into e-ammonia and e-methanol, or even be burned directly as a fuel for heavy industry. Since green hydrogen is a highly flexible fuel, the UNFCCC states that it can meet up to 20% of global energy demand by 2050, that is about the same share of energy that is used by the current electrical system. Furthermore, Germany has launched the world’s first network of hydrogen-powered trains and Sweden is building its first hydrogen-based steel plant. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is working on a hydrogen-fueled jet engine. According to the WEF agenda article, this leads to seven reasons why Portugal and Spain are about to become a Green Hydrogen Powerhouse. These are first, the potential through solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower; and second, this will lead to a fully-flexible electricity grid. The other reasons named are the geographic advantages, the potential for producing biomethane in rural areas, the strong demand on the Iberian peninsula that meets production costs, the already existing infrastructure with port facilities added to a natural gas pipeline network; and last but not least, the fact that both Portugal and Spain are part of the EU with easy market access. The WEF report underlines the fact that Portuguese and Spanish green hydrogen can be produced at a quarter of the cost of traditional grey hydrogen with the advantage of also being clean energy. Therefore, it is to be expected that both Portugal and Spain will become green hydrogen giants with massive investments pouring into the green hydrogen sector, thus propelling both countries as an energy powerhouse for the EU. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/portugal-recognized-as-a-a-green-hydrogen-powerhouse-by-the-wef #Portugalgreenhydrogen #WEF2023 #RollsRoyce #greenhydrogeninvestments #greenhydrogenportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

EUR 800 million will be invested by Iberdrola and Prosolia Energy to build Europe’s largest solar power plant in Portugal. The plant of 1.2 GW will be built in the Alentejo region in southern Portugal. The solar power plant will be located in Santiago de Cacém, close to the port of Sines that is a hub for southern Europe. The plant, that will be operational in 2025, will produce clean and cheap energy for 430,000 households. This new development will reduce the consumption of gas by 370 million cubic meters. The solar park will comprise 700,000 photovoltaic modules and will be surrounded by a protective belt of trees. This mega project follows the other pharaonic project on the Tâmega river, a EUR 1.5 billion complex that was described by The New York Times as being Portugal’s Hydro Future. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/eur-800-m-investment-in-europe-s-largest-solar-power-plant-to-be-built-in-portugal #largestsolarpowerplantEurope #Iberdrola #ProsoliaEnergy #solarenergyportugal #greenportugal #renewableenergyportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews