COMPETE 2030 Monitoring Committee meets at CeNTI

On 5 March 2025, CeNTI – Centre for Nanotechnology and Technical, Functional and Intelligent Materials, in Vila Nova de Famalicão, was the venue chosen for the COMPETE 2030 Monitoring Committee meeting.

The session, which brought together a wide range of participants, including members of the Committee, Programme managers and guests, had as its main objective the strengthening of dialogue and collaboration, boosting the development of initiatives co-financed by COMPETE 2030.

A place of innovation and technology

The choice of CeNTI for this meeting emphasises the importance of innovation and technology in the country’s economic development. CeNTI, as a Technology and Innovation Centre (CTI) recognised by ANI, stands out for its pioneering work in the areas of nanotechnology, advanced materials and intelligent systems. Its mission is to support and boost the industrial and business technological infrastructure, promoting the transfer of knowledge and technology in various sectors.

Visits to successful projects

The day after the meeting, the participants had the opportunity to visit two projects co-financed by COMPETE 2030, which exemplify the Programme’s positive impact on the ground:

• Lactogal, in Modivas: A project with a total investment of 29.8 million euros, which aims to enable the plant to produce new dairy powder products with high added value, expand supply, promote sustainability and strengthen the company’s position on the global market.
  
• WEG euro, in Santo Tirso: A project with a total investment of 27.2 million euros, which aims to strengthen the industrial unit’s production capacity in the Oil & Gas (explosive atmospheres), Mining, Ventilation and Water sectors, responding to production needs and sustaining turnover growth.

Work session and presentations

The session was led by Alexandra Vilela, President of COMPETE 2030, accompanied by Carla Leal and Henrique Figueiredo. The meeting began with a few words of welcome from António Braz Costa, General Director of CeNTI and CITEVE, who thanked the venue for the meeting and highlighted the projects developed by the centres he heads. At the end of the session, Caroline Callens, from the European Commission, expressed her thanks and presented a European Union flag.

During the session, videos were shown of two COMPETE 2030 projects that illustrate the implementation of the Programme:

• INOV CONTACTO, co-funded by the ESF+.
• FEERICA, co-financed by the ERDF.

COMPETE 2030: a successful programme

The COMPETE 2030 Monitoring Committee meeting at CeNTI in Vila Nova de Famalicão reinforced the Programme’s role as a key instrument for the country’s economic development, driving innovation, the digital transition and sustainability.