Strengthening FDI and SME Linkages in Portugal
This report assesses the enabling conditions for maximising the benefits of foreign
direct investment (FDI) on SME productivity and innovation in Portugal. It looks at
the quality of investment that Portugal attracts and the capacity of Portuguese SMEs
to benefit from any knowledge and technology spillovers resulting from these investments.
It studies the extent to which FDI-SME spillovers occur through value chain linkages,
strategic partnerships, labour mobility, competition and imitation effects. The report
provides an overview of Portuguese public institutions responsible for investment,
SMEs, innovation and regional development policies, taking a close look at arrangements
to ensure multi-level policy coordination, stakeholder consultation and evaluation
of policy impacts. It then reviews the mix of government policies that are currently
in place to support FDI-SME linkages and spillovers, noting areas for further policy
reforms. The last chapter introduces a regional lens, focusing in particular on the
regions of Norte and Alentejo. This report is part of a broader European Commission-OECD
programme on strengthening FDI-SME linkages and serves as a pilot for future country
assessments.
Published on January 12, 2022