Portuguese engineering that crosses borders
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AFINOMAQ, a Portuguese industrial engineering company based in São Julião do Tojal, Loures, is an example of how innovation, personalization and ambition can project a beyond-border SME. Founded in 1992 as a family project, the company stands out in the production of solutions to filling, capsulating, labeling and transportation systems, with presence on four continents.
« The initiative came from two people who grabbed an opportunity in the market: providing flexible services, that they created value and were always available, » explained Berta Amaro, CEO of Affinomaq, in the Best of Portugal podcast. According to the manager, the biggest initial challenge was gathering a team with ambition and gaining the trust of the first customers. “The first client was a reference multinational, and this opened doors to the second, the third…”
Internationalization started in 2009, with the first steps taken in the nearest markets. “We went to Spain, then Angola, Mozambique, Morocco…”, recalled Berta Amaro. It was not always easy, as it admits: « The Spanish market is still difficult, very protectionist. But we learned a lot. »
Each project is created as
Betting on equipment customization is one of the main differentiation factors in the stateq. « Each client is a customer. We produce according to their technical, financial and spatial needs, » said the CEO. This flexibility, although challenging, requires constant innovation and adaptation. « Without innovation we would not resist. It is in our DNA from the beginning. »
The integration of Industry 4.0 principles is already a reality in the equipment of Affinomaq, with automation, sensorization and connectivity to allow a more efficient operation. “Facilitates work and increases productivity,” said Berta Amaro. But despite the innovation and constant bet on equipment modernization and the improvement of production processes, affinomaq faces, like many industrial companies, challenges in supply chains. « Delivery deadlines have tripled, which forced us to reinforce stocks. For a SME, this has a very high financial impact. »
Still, and for the future, the company has ambitious plans: “We want to create a new industrial unit to increase production capacity and reduce delivery times.” The reinforcement of the international distribution network and the presence at fairs is also part of the strategy. “We need distributors that promote our products and bring their technicians here for training.”
When asked about the company’s future, Berta Amaro was clear: « We liked to be recognized as one of the European leaders in our sector. Showing that Portugal has engineering and that we add value. »
