The Annual General Assembly of idD Portugal Defence, S.A. was carried out on June 29, fulfilling the objectives enrolled in the Programme of the XXII Portuguese Government.

In this context, the management of public shares in companies in the defence sector was consolidated, allowing the defence industry to ensure the effective autonomy and ability to fulfil the missions of the Armed Forces, as well as to create a public policy instrument capable of responding to the challenges of internationalisation, betting on clusters, like naval construction and repair, communications, advanced simulation and training systems and aerospace sector.

The current context and its profound negative impact on the economies of the European Union countries will certainly have repercussions on the ability to meet defence commitments. The defence economy should thus be seen as a pillar of the economic and social recovery plan and the investment in defence seen as an integral and structuring part of the process of recovery of the economy, which has now begun.

The sector should also strengthen its role in the development of innovation, promoting qualified employment, reinforcing and stimulating the specialization and export capacity of companies operating in Portugal.

idD Portugal Defence, SA, in accordance with Despacho No. 786/2020, of December 30, 2019, holds the shares held by the State in the defence sector: OGMA – Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal, S.A.; Arsenal do Alfeite, SA; Navalrocha – Sociedade de Construção e Reparações Navais, S.A; EEN – Empordef Engenharia Naval, S.A.; EID – Empresa de Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Eletrónica, S.A.; EMPORDEF – Tecnologias de Informação, S.A. (ETI); EDISOFT – Empresa de Serviços e Desenvolvimento de Software, S.A. (EDISOFT, S. A.); and Extra – Explosivos da Trafaria, S.A..

idD Portugal Defence’s mission will be to carry out the defence sector policies, being mandated to implement critical sustainability projects of this sector of the economy, such as:

  • Reinforce networks and other forms of partnership and cooperation, which aim at innovation and internationalisation of companies and value chains (clustering and supplier chain), including the promotion of business investment in I&I and R&D, in order to promote the increased economic activities in knowledge and value creation based on innovation;
  • Create a one-stop-shop for business support, allowing to streamline all necessary procedures, to promote business and internationalisation opportunities, access to European cooperative programs, the European Defence Fund and the Portugal 2030 Framework;
  • Accelerate the execution of the Military Programming Law, in particular with the construction of six new Ocean Patrol Vessels, in the amount of 352M€, between 2020 and 2029;
  • Accelerate the attraction of investment and export projects in space, naval, aeronautics, communications and cyber defence, among others.

In view of the deep restructuring of the company and its activities, the Government understood that the management team should be duly adjusted, aligning their skills and qualifications with the requirements and objectives now defined for the restructured company.

A new Board of Directors was elected, chaired by Marco Capitão Ferreira, with three vowels, Catarina Sofia Castanheira Nunes, Maria José Gomes Monteiro Jesus de Almeida and Paulo Alexandre Jacob dos Santos Santana.

It is also expected that the group’s strategic relationship between idD Portugal Defence, S.A., and Arsenal do Alfeite, S.A., in accordance with the Government Program, promotes the outsourcing of the support functions of the Armed Forces, providing the surplus capacity to the market, thus allowing a reduction of costs and maintaining the public business nature of Arsenal do Alfeite, which in its General Assembly also elected a new Board of Directors, composed by President José Miguel Antunes Fernandes and by the vowels José Luís Serra Rodrigues and Maria José Gomes Monteiro Jesus de Almeida.