It is no longer enough to talk about talent, political stability, or good macroeconomic indicators. What really distinguishes countries is their ability to actively participate in the most critical technology chains on the planet. And it is precisely at this point that Portugal has just taken another important step.
The decision of the National Innovation Agency to strengthen the Portuguese position in the microelectronics sector, with a support of 6.4 million euros to two strategic projects led by INL and the Institute of Telecommunications, is not just another public investment. It is a statement of ambition. It is Portugal saying that it wants to be in the semiconductor game, one of the most decisive industries for the economy of the future.
Little is said about it outside specialised circles, but semiconductors are now at the centre of practically everything: artificial intelligence, mobility, energy, defence, telecommunications, advanced computing, and the medical industry. Those who master this technology, or at least those who participate in a relevant way in its value chain, gain a strategic position on the global chessboard.
By integrating these projects under the European Chips Act, Portugal is no longer just a user of technology and has become a capacity builder. The work developed at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, in Braga, in the area of integration and advanced packaging of components, and at the Institute of Telecommunications, with integrated photonic circuits, places the country at the heart of two of the most promising areas of world microelectronics.
The most interesting thing is that this movement does not live in isolation. It fits perfectly in the moment that the country is going through. I have observed, both in Portugal and abroad, a clear change in the perception of investors, technology companies, and international decision-making centres: Portugal is no longer seen only as a destination for services, tourism, or accessible talent. It is beginning to be seen as a serious territory of engineering, innovation, and advanced industrial capacity.
These projects not only bring science. They bring companies, attract talent, generate qualified jobs, create spin-offs, strengthen universities and research centres, and, above all, anchor value in the territory. This is how sustainable development is built: not only with consumption and construction, but with knowledge, technology, and integration into global value chains.
The funding now announced is relatively modest compared to the large European figures, but its potential impact is enormous. Because in this type of sector, what counts is not only the volume of initial capital, but the strategic positioning it creates.
Portugal is doing just that: positioning itself. And when a small country manages to occupy a relevant place in a sector as critical as semiconductors, it is guaranteeing not only economic growth, but technological sovereignty and influence in the future.
This is the kind of news that quietly changes the fate of a country.