Specialized Lab in Portalegre celebrates its first anniversary

May 6th, 2022 – The specialized Lab in Portalegre, managed by Softinsa and Kyntech Services, celebrates its first anniversary today. This center, which had its genesis in the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Municipality of Portalegre, the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre (IPP), Softinsa and IBM Portugal, has been focusing on the development and implementation of systems that aim to promote economic and environmental sustainability.

The Lab, located in the IPP Campus, started a year ago with a team dedicated exclusively to IoT – Internet of Things and Smart Cities projects, and currently has more than 35 employees with additional skills in the areas of Automation, Cloud & Data Center Facilities, Low-Code Development and SAP.

Since its inauguration, it has been investing in training and hiring specialized professionals from the Alentejo region by signing protocols with the IPP, for the development of Professional Higher Technical Courses (CTeSP), and with the Institute of Employment and Professional Training (IEFP), for the creation of professional internship programs, as well as the launch of free training Academies in various technologies, both on-site and remote.

In order to accommodate the approximately 100 professionals expected by 2023, a new building is already being constructed, adjacent to the current BioBIP – Bioenergy and Business Incubator of Portalegre, with a floor area of approximately 500 m2.

Henrique Mourisca, Softinsa’s General Manager, highlights that “the choice of the city of Portalegre for the installation of our specialized Lab has proven to be a winning bet. The strong partnership we have built with the IPP and the Portalegre City Hall has allowed Softinsa to grow according to our best forecasts and with the initiatives we are already outlining together I believe our future in Portalegre will be even more promising.”

For Kyntech Services’s Geral Manager, Francisco Caeiro, “this is an important moment in Kyntech Services’ growth plan. The bet in Portalegre comes as a natural step in our expansion strategy in the areas of IoT and Energy Efficiency and also allows us to strengthen our commitment to our customers, the IPP and the Municipality of Portalegre. We are proud to celebrate the 1st anniversary of the specialized Lab with all our employees, with the IPP and with the municipality.”

In this 1st anniversary of the specialized Lab of Portalegre, the Mayor of Portalegre, Fermelinda Pombo Carvalho, congratulates Softinsa and Kyntech for the work developed in the scope of Smart Cities with direct impact throughout the Alentejo, pointing out that “the City Council of Portalegre is committed to creating value in the local economy, generating new dynamics and strengthening the capacity to attract companies and investment to the territory, that promote the creation of qualified employment and the settlement of assets in our county.”

Luís Loures, President of the Polytechnic of Portalegre, considers this partnership a success story, both for its impact on teaching, training and applied research, and for the positive contribution it brings to innovation and capacity building in the region. “The progressive growth of the specialized Lab, in our Campus, is a differentiating factor, not only institutionally, but also regionally and nationally. The location of Softinsa and Kyntech Services, in Portalegre, was a winning bet: they are poles of talent attraction and settlement of highly specialized staff, contributing significantly to the digitalization of the economy.”

This creation of synergies, between the academic and the business world, has provided our students of technology real possibilities to find a professional outlet here, even before the end of their training, which is evidence that we were right when we believed in this project!

The event that marked the first anniversary of the specialized Lab took place today, at 3:30pm, at BioBip’s Lounge, inserted in the IPP Campus, and was attended by the President of the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, Luís Loures, the Mayor of Portalegre, Fermelinda Pombo Carvalho, the CEO of Softinsa, Henrique Mourisca and the CEO of Kyntech Services, Francisco Caeiro.