aicep Portugal Global

What aicep Portugal Global does

AICEP — Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo de Portugal, E.P.E. (operating as AICEP Portugal Global) is the Portuguese Republic's official state-owned trade and investment promotion agency. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Lisbon with a regional office in Porto, AICEP operates a one-stop-shop model serving two principal client sets: Portuguese companies (with a strong SME focus) seeking internationalization support, and national and international investors evaluating productive investment in Portugal. The agency's reach is delivered through approximately 50 international delegations across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, complemented by a domestic network of Export Stores in cities including Lisbon, Porto, Aveiro, Braga, Coimbra, Faro, Leiria and Viseu. Between 2008 and 2021, AICEP-supported projects accounted for €11 billion in contracted investment and approximately 250,000 jobs created or maintained, while €560 million in internationalization support was disbursed under Portugal's PT 2020 framework.

AICEP's service portfolio is organized around three pillars: investment attraction (site selection, regulatory guidance, incentive information, project monitoring via subsidiary AICEP Global Parques), trade and internationalization support (Portugal Exporta platform, Buy from Portugal matchmaking directory, ten monitored industry clusters, the MADE IN PORTUGAL naturally promotional brand, and participation in trade fairs such as BIO Europe, SIAM Morocco, Hannover Messe and 3daysofdesign), and capability development (Academia AICEP training programs and the Inov Contacto international internship scheme). The agency also operates an ESG reporting platform integrated with SIBS, a monthly digital magazine (Revista Portugalglobal), and a customized newsletter subscription service. Sub-brands include MADE IN PORTUGAL naturally, Buy from Portugal, Portugal Exporta, Portugal Wines Go Global, and the Smart Cities Campaign.

The agency is fully owned by the Portuguese Republic and is co-supported by the European Union; it is funded through government budgets and EU programme allocations rather than commercial transactions, and provides services at no direct cost to users. With 500+ collaborators (65% women) and operations spanning approximately 50 international markets plus 70+ countries, AICEP accompanies over 17,000 exporting Portuguese companies and reports that exports represent approximately 50% of Portuguese GDP. Leadership comprises CEO Maria Madalena de Sousa Monteiro Oliveira e Silva and a Board of Directors including executive and non-executive members under the supervision of the Portuguese government. AICEP is also a founding member of the European Trade Promotion Organisations' Association (ETPOA).

Name

aicep Portugal Global

Legal name

AICEP - Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo de Portugal, E.P.E.

Website

https://portugalglobal.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

AICEP Portugal Global is the Portuguese Republic's state-owned trade and investment promotion agency, operating a one-stop-shop that attracts foreign investment to Portugal and supports the internationalization of Portuguese companies through a network spanning approximately 50 international markets and domestic Export Stores.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Trade and Investment Promotion Services

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), National Security and International Affairs (928)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) & Trade Finance Institutions (BPADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration (BPAIAIAG), Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ)

Keywords

• Investment promotion services
• Trade promotion agency
• Internationalization consulting
• Export facilitation services
• Foreign direct investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded public service: AICEP is a public entity (E.P.E. — Empresa Pública) funded by the Portuguese government. It operates as a non-commercial agency providing services to support investment attraction and internationalization. Revenue is derived from government budgets and public programmes rather than direct commercial transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AICEP Portugal Global is a Portuguese government public business entity (E.P.E.) that operates as a one-stop-shop agency promoting foreign investment in Portugal and supporting the internationalization of Portuguese companies. It provides tailored advice, market intelligence, specialized information, training programmes, and business matchmaking services through offices in Portugal and an external network spanning approximately 50 international markets. The agency guides national and international investment projects through all stages and supports SME export strategies.

Product overview

AICEP (Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo de Portugal) operates as a one-stop-shop agency providing a comprehensive portfolio of platforms, programs, and services for investment promotion and internationalization. The core offerings include Portugal Exporta (market intelligence and export guidance platform), Buy from Portugal (business matchmaking directory), Academia AICEP (training and capacity-building with Inov Contacto internship program), and various international promotion campaigns under the MADE IN PORTUGAL naturally brand. Additional services include ESG/sustainability tools, startup ecosystem support, industry cluster monitoring, and the Revista Portugalglobal digital magazine. The portfolio is organized around investment attraction, trade/internationalization support, and capability development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MADE IN PORTUGAL naturally: International promotional brand showcasing the excellence of Portuguese goods in Fashion, Home and Building Materials clusters internationally
• Buy from Portugal
• Revista Portugalglobal
• Academia AICEP
• Inov Contacto
• Portugal Exporta
• AICEP Global Parques

Products and services

• Portugal Exporta

Quantifiable outcome

• €11 billion in contracted investment attracted between 2008 and 2021, creating or maintaining ~250,000 jobs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• CEiiA – Centro de Engenharia e Desenvolvimento de ProdutoflagshipTechnology or Integration · 26 June 2026AICEP highlighted CEiiA's partnership agreement with Lufthansa Ground Services Portugal to integrate the BEN electric vehicle — developed by CEiiA in Portugal — into Lufthansa's ground assistance operations at airports. This represents a flagship showcase of Portuguese engineering adopted by a major European airline group.
• Lufthansa Ground Services Portugal (LGSP)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 June 2026Lufthansa Ground Services Portugal signed an agreement with CEiiA to integrate the Portuguese-developed BEN electric vehicle into its ramp assistance and aircraft turnaround operations at Portuguese airports, with full deployment expected in 2027. This is the first time a group of Lufthansa's scale has adopted the vehicle, projecting Portuguese airport engineering across European aviation.
• Japanese Sake and Shochu Makers AssociationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 March 2026Co-organizer of the 'Madeira Wine and Aged Sake Seminar & Tasting' cultural exchange event held at the Portuguese Embassy in Tokyo. The event explored historical Japan-Portugal connections and promoted new value propositions for Portuguese and Japanese alcohol cultures.
• Portuguese Government Tourism BoardminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 March 2026Co-organizer of the Madeira Wine and Aged Sake cultural exchange event at the Portuguese Embassy, promoting Portugal's tourism and cultural assets alongside commercial partnerships.
• Madeira Japan Co., Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 March 2026Co-organizer of the Madeira Wine and Aged Sake cultural exchange event, contributing to the promotion of Madeiran wine in the Japanese market.
• Ichinokura Sake BreweryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Japanese sake brewery showcasing efforts to apply Madeira wine production methods (alcohol fortification and warming aging using hot spring steam) to sake, demonstrating cross-cultural innovation in alcohol production techniques.
• LazadocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 24 November 2025Lazado is a leading Saudi importer and distributor for the hospitality sector in Saudi Arabia, operating a flagship showroom in Riyadh. AICEP partnered with Lazado for the 'MADE IN PORTUGAL naturally MEETS LAZADO' showroom event in November 2025, curating 18 Portuguese brands in Home and Fashion clusters for the Saudi market. Saudi Arabia is the leading Gulf market and second-largest destination for Portuguese exports.
• aicep Global ParquescoreOthersAICEP counts aicep Global Parques as its subsidiary (participada), which acts as the Industrial Parks Management entity advising on the best location for investment projects in Portugal. This is an integral part of AICEP's investment attraction service offering.
• ETPOA – European Trade Promotion Organisations' AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICEP is a founding member of ETPOA, an international association that aims to promote the interests of European trade promotion organisations (TPOs) before European institutions and other competent bodies.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Business France: France's national investment promotion agency and Trade Commission, performing the same outward investment attraction and company internationalization mandate as AICEP, but for the French economy. Direct peer with comparable headcount, overseas network, and service portfolio.
• Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI): Germany's federal economic development agency, attracting FDI into Germany and supporting German companies abroad. Closely comparable to AICEP in statutory mandate, scope of advisory services, and overseas network.
• ICEX Spain Trade and Investment: Spain's national trade and investment promotion entity under the Ministry of Industry. The most direct Iberian and EU peer in terms of mandate, target markets, and SME internationalization focus.
• Italian Trade Agency (ITA): Italy's governmental agency for trade promotion, internationalization of Italian firms, and attraction of foreign investment. Equivalent function and structure to AICEP at the country level.
• UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT): UK government department responsible for trade promotion, investment attraction, and export support services, including the British FDI offering. Operates an equivalent mandate at country level with a global office network.
• Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA): Operating under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, NFIA is the Dutch national investment promotion agency with a comparable single-window FDI advisory model and overseas presence in priority markets.
• Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO): Japan's governmental trade and investment promotion body with a global network of offices, providing investment attraction to Japan and internationalization support to Japanese SMEs - analogous structurally to AICEP.
• Enterprise Singapore: Singapore's government agency driving enterprise growth and FDI attraction. A strong peer in terms of digital trade-matching platforms, SME internationalization services, and an aggressive investment-attraction mandate.
• Invest in Canada: Canadian federal FDI attraction program under the Government of Canada, providing site selection and advisory support to foreign investors in similar fashion to AICEP's investment-attraction services.

Broad incumbents

• SelectUSA: U.S. federal investment promotion program within the Department of Commerce. A broader incumbent with overlapping FDI-attraction scope, but at a far larger scale and as part of wider federal trade functions rather than a standalone country-specific agency like AICEP.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aicep
• Facebookfacebook.com/aicepPortugal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aicep-portugal-global

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about aicep Portugal Global