The rise and rise of Portugal's prominence in the mould-making and wider manufacturing industry has been demonstrated with fervour at EuroMold 2014.
Portugal
Walking through Hall 8.0 at the Frankfurt Messe, it is hard to miss the fact there are more than 30 Portuguese companies representing the latest in what Portugal's manufacturing industry has to offer the world.
This statement was made clear during the EuroMold inaugural press conference, when João Faustino, President of Portugal's national mould-making association CEFAMOL, took to the stage to declare the Iberian nation as the world's international mould-making partners.
Faustino explained that the Portuguese mould-making industry has been represented at EuroMold for years and the Frankfurt event is the perfect platform for Portugal to showcase its prowess in this field thanks to Germany being the main market for Portuguese mould-making.
"Of course mould-making in Portugal and mould-making in general are facing new challenges, but at the show today we can reveal our evolution," he said.
"Portuguese industry is one of the most dynamic - Portugal is playing a leading role. We export 90 per cent of plastic injection moulds and our products are increasingly popular with multi-nationals."
Portugal's mould-making market exports to 80 countries and in the last five years the sector has experienced a 58 per cent production increase and a 40 per cent increase. Nearly four fifths (78 per cent) of these exports go to the automotive industry, with packaging coming a distant second with laying claim to just eight per cent of exports.
"Portugal is the centre of excellence and we have strong interaction with many customers from different industries and countries," said Faustino.
"We are your global partners."
