Offering the right business climate

With unique collaboration across its national pharmaceutical industry, Portugal is establishing itself as a global hub for the international pharmaceutical industry.

The combination of an experienced, coordinated national pharmaceutical industry, excellent local resources and infrastructure, as well as a wide range of international relationships, means Portugal can offer small and medium-sized companies and countries the business environment they need.

Portugal is rapidly developing its internal pharmaceutical industry. At the same time it is raising its international profile and broadening its global contacts. With the resources already in place, it is offering pharmaceutical companies an excellent base for business.

International profile

In 2005 PharmaPortugal, a unique collaboration between Portugal’s pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agency and national trade organisation, was formed to improve the working climate and fast-track products and services to market while maintaining independence and quality.

PharmaPortugal’s primary goal is to raise global awareness and promote the productivity and competitiveness of the Portuguese pharmaceutical industry across the world. Its current priorities are:

Focusing on the challenges and opportunities of globalisation
Securing long-term competitiveness through national and international partnerships
Developing cooperation between the industry and health authorities

Companies that are part of the PharmaPortugal project aim to consolidate the international image of the Portuguese pharmaceutical industry externally while establishing cooperation within the local industry.

Improving partnership

PharmaPortugal harnesses the efforts and expertise of the Portuguese pharmaceutical industry to ensure high-quality, competitive products and services for its business partners through APIFARMA (the pharmaceutical industry association), ICEP (the national foreign trade organisation), INFARMED (the national regulatory agency for medicine) and CEPE (a specialist commission of producers
and exporters).

PharmaPortugal has developed more international partnerships by participating in CPhI in Madrid in 2005, which it will repeat in Paris in 2006. It has also participated in road shows in emerging markets such as Angola, Tunisia and Algeria.

Through the efforts of PharmaPortugal, the Portuguese pharmaceutical industry is positioning itself as a global hub for small to medium-sized countries and industries, offering:

A mature, well-organised domestic market
Opportunities for distribution and cooperation with Portuguese companies operating in overseas markets, especially in Africa, including the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), and Latin America
Joint ventures in commercial, industrial and research fields
Well-equipped, flexible facilities to provide manufacturing of APIs and pharmaceuticals with strict compliance with EU cGMP
Contract manufacturing and R&D services for the production of active substances and dosage forms
Companies experienced in technology transfer in dosage form and raw material manufacturing
A stable and safe working environment supported by the government, which has identified the pharmaceutical industry as a strategic sector

Gateway to the world

The combination of Portugal’s economic openness, EU membership and unique geo-strategic location makes it a natural gateway between the EU and other world markets. The country’s ties with the African continent and Brazil, and its transatlantic link with the USA provide a cost-effective international base.

Portugal also has the infrastructure, both in manufacturing and distribution, to be a competitive quality supplier of pharmaceuticals products and services to Europe.

There is competition within the pharmaceutical industry all over the world, but Portugal already has the resources to become a hub for the pharmaceutical industry. The country can offer turnkey solutions, competitive manufacturing costs, flexibility, fast time to market and a good infrastructure. This is further enhanced by privileged relationships, both at company and regulatory agency level, with countries and territories in Africa and Latin America.

WHAT PORTUGAL CAN OFFER

Excellent scientific human resources
Modern infrastructure (laboratories, pilot plants and technology parks)
State-of-the-art industrial and logistical infrastructures
Committed government support

Company profile

Apifarma (PharmaPortugal) was founded in 1975, succeeding the Grémio Nacional dos Industrials de Especialidades Farmacêuticas. For more information, visit: www.apifarma.pt.

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