Knowing that 25 national companies are testing unmanned technologies and systems with the Portuguese Navy, within the scope of REPMUS 2026, is one of those news. Especially because we are talking about an exercise that brings together more than 130 companies of various nationalities, 36 navies and more than 3,200 participants, in an environment where industry, armed forces, universities and international organisations work side by side.

It is particularly positive to see in this group Portuguese companies such as Tekever, Critical Software, Beyond Vision, UAVision, Optimal, OceanScan and many others. Some are companies that I have been writing about in recent years, precisely because they represent a Portugal that does not always receive the attention it deserves. A technological, industrial, highly qualified Portugal capable of developing products and solutions that compete in international markets. We are not just talking about companies that provide services from Portugal. We are talking about knowledge, engineering and technology developed in our country and with the potential to be sold to the world.

It is this transformation that I consider particularly important for the future of the Portuguese economy. For too long we have discussed competitiveness almost exclusively through the cost of labour, tourism, real estate or the ability to attract foreign investment. All of this will continue to be important, but a developed economy also needs to create its own companies capable of generating intellectual property, developing technology and selling high value-added products. This is where higher wages, greater productivity and an international presence that does not depend only on the cost advantages that Portugal can offer are achieved.

The area of Defence is today one of the most evident examples of this opportunity. Europe has entered an investment cycle that is unlikely to be fleeting and an important part of this investment will be allocated to technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, communications and data analysis. Many of these technologies also have civilian applications and can create new industries far beyond the military sector. Portugal has companies, universities, engineers and entrepreneurs with the capacity to participate in this market. REPMUS demonstrates precisely this, by allowing Portuguese technology to be tested under operational conditions and in direct contact with some of the main navies and international organisations.

But perhaps the most important message of this news is another. These examples need to multiply. Portugal has a much more talented and internationalised business community than we sometimes recognise, inside and outside our borders. The challenge is to create conditions for more companies to grow, test products, find international customers, raise capital and stay connected to the country as they gain size.

The future of the Portuguese economy will not be built by a single large company or a single sector. It will be built when we have hundreds of companies capable of doing what they are already doing: transforming Portuguese knowledge into technology, products and services sought internationally. Seeing 25 national companies in one of the world's largest exercises in the experimentation of unmanned systems is, therefore, much more than good news for Defence. It is excellent news for Portugal.