The latest survey by the European Investment Bank (EIB) shows exactly that. One in six Portuguese companies admits that they will increase investment in 2025. This represents 16% of the business fabric, a figure well above the European Union average, which stands at 4%. The difference is big. And the message is clear.

After listening to close to 500 companies in Portugal, the EIB concludes that our companies continue to show a strong willingness to invest and a more optimistic view of the future than most of their European partners. In a difficult international context, marked by economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and market instability, this data is even more valuable.

What strikes me most about this study is to understand where this investment is being made. Portuguese companies are investing more than the European average in innovation, are increasingly using artificial intelligence in their internal processes and are reinforcing investment in the climate transition. In other words, they are not only growing in quantity. They are evolving in quality.

There is also a clear effort to diversify supply chains, a direct response to the weaknesses that have been exposed in recent years. Companies are more prudent, more strategic, and more prepared for external shocks. This shows maturity.

Another very relevant fact is that 84% of Portuguese companies invested in the last year. This figure is practically identical to that of 2024 and very close to the European average. We are not talking about isolated cases. We are talking about a generalized dynamic in the business fabric.

At the same time, there is awareness of the difficulties. Companies are more pessimistic about the global economic climate and the political and regulatory environment. There is a lack of qualified labor, there is uncertainty about the future, and the rules do not always help. These remain real obstacles and greater than those faced by the European average. But despite this, companies maintain confidence in the prospects of their own sectors. And that makes all the difference.

Another very positive sign comes from gender equality. Portugal has one of the highest rates of women in leadership positions in the European Union. 41% of companies have at least 40% women in top management, and I am lucky enough to meet several. These data are not just statistical. They say a lot about the cultural and organizational evolution of our business fabric.

For me, this news sums up well the moment that Portugal is experiencing. We have structural challenges. We have old problems that are not yet resolved. But we also have companies that want to invest, innovate, grow, and compete abroad. We have entrepreneurs who are not waiting for the future to knock on their door. They are building it.

After years of writing about foreign investment, technology, logistics, industry, energy and venture capital, this EIB study comes as further confirmation. Portugal is not only an attractive country to invest in. It is, increasingly, a country where the companies themselves believe.

And when companies believe, the country moves forward.