Plastec East: Portugal's Engineering and Tooling Cluster on Global StagePlastec East: Portugal's Engineering and Tooling Cluster on Global Stage

Portugal is home to more than 500 injection mold tooling companies that export more than 90% of their production to over 80 countries. It is the third largest mold exporter in Europe and the eighth largest worldwide. In this podcast, we speak with Rui Tocha, General Manager of Engineering and Tooling from Portugal, who talks about the cluster's ability to provide turnkey solutions across the value chain and support global customers from product development and mold design to finished product.

The plastics industry has a storied past in Portugal, but Tocha is focused on the future. To continue to grow — production has doubled in the past six years — and adapt to a competitive global market, the private sector and universities are investing an estimated €50 million on R&D projects. Modernization through Industry 4.0 technology and sustainable practices are a vital element of the sector's future growth, adds Tocha. In this podcast, he outlines these and other initiatives.

For more information, download the Engineering and Tooling PDF and visit the association website.

The podcast is sponsored by Engineering and Tooling from Portugal/Pool-Net.