Portugal begins to look into space

There are investments that are worth their amount and others that are important above all for the signal they send about the direction of a country. The creation of ICEYE Portugal and the opening of a centre of excellence in Lisbon belong, in my opinion, clearly to the second category.

By Paulo Lopes,
in Business ·
14 Jul 2026, 07:01
· 0 Comments

For too long, we have become accustomed to looking at Portugal as a destination for tourism, real estate, services and some traditional industries. All of this is still important, but anyone who looks closely at what has been happening in recent years will find a different country emerging. A country where there is more and more talk of artificial intelligence, defence, drones, data centres, underwater robotics, blue economy and now, sovereign intelligence from space.

ICEYE, the European leader in space sovereign information, has decided to deepen its presence in our country through the creation of a national structure led by Rui Costa and a center of excellence dedicated to software development, systems integration and artificial intelligence. We are not just talking about opening an office. We are talking about the creation of knowledge, highly qualified employment and technological capacity in areas that will be strategic for Europe in the coming decades.

Portugal has already acquired four satellites from ICEYE, two of which have been launched, and is looking to develop a constellation capable of supporting the monitoring of its huge maritime domain and the Exclusive Economic Zone. In a country with such a deep historical relationship with the Atlantic, it seems almost inevitable to me that space will become part of the way we protect, understand and responsibly exploit our maritime territory.

But there is another equally important dimension. This technology not only serves defence or security. It can help in responding to fires, floods, and other natural disasters by providing near real-time information, regardless of weather conditions or cloud cover. This demonstrates how dual-use technologies are bringing together areas that once seemed completely separate.

What interests me most about this announcement, however, is the pattern that is beginning to become evident. Portugal is gradually attracting companies and projects linked to the critical infrastructures of the future. Energy, data, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, defence, space and ocean monitoring are beginning to form a new economic ecosystem.

Of course, an investment does not transform a country. Not even a centre of excellence creates, alone, an industry. But when the signs start to repeat themselves, perhaps we should pay attention.

The arrival of ICEYE Portugal is another one of these signs. The world is starting to look at our country not only for the sun, the beaches or the quality of life, but for the talent, the geography and the technological capacity.

Perhaps Portugal is not yet a space power. But he is finally beginning to realise that his future can also be seen from space.

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Paulo Lopes is a multi-talent Portuguese citizen who made his Master of Economics in Switzerland and studied law at Lusófona in Lisbon - CEO of Casaiberia in Lisbon and Algarve.

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