MD3 distinguished with the Empresa Gazela 2020 award

Culture

MD3 was awarded with the Gazela Company Award. This year, 119 companies from the central region were distinguished, 7 more than in 2019.

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Published
in 02.07.2021

This year, 119 companies from the central region were distinguished, 7 more than in 2019.

According to the study carried out by the Center's Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDRC), 119 companies (7 more than in 2019) have more than 4,000 jobs and generate a turnover of 438 million and 116.9 million euros in exports.

Gazela Companies are young companies that, in a short period of time, show accelerated growth in employment and turnover. They are present in all sectors of activity and are distinguished by their positioning in the markets due to their risk capacity.

In terms of geographical distribution, they are widely spread throughout the territory, spread over 44 municipalities in the Center region, with the municipalities of Leiria (14), Aveiro (11) and Coimbra (8) having the highest number.

Gazela Companies are distinguished by:

  • Have a high potential to generate new jobs, having practically quadrupled the people employed between 2016 and 2019.
  • The turnover grew about nine times between 2016 and 2019.
  • About half (45% of the total) of the 119 Gazela companies had export values. The total exports of these companies amounted to around 117 million euros in 2019, which represented, on average, 27% of the turnover.
  • A quarter of these companies develop their activities in the manufacturing industries, which, together with the construction sector (22%) and commerce (13%), represent 61% of the Gazela companies in the region.
  • Half of the Gazela companies surveyed were incorporated in 2015 (24%) and 2016 (26%); At the end of 2020, 50 of the 119 Gazela companies had submitted a total of 96 applications to Portugal 2020 Incentive Systems. Of these, 68% were framed in the Regional Operational Program – Centro 2020.
  • In terms of approved projects, the 50 gazelle companies who applied to the Portugal 2020 Incentive Systems are already being supported in all 96 applications (representing 135 million euros of investment and 52 million euros of incentive).

You can consult the study carried out by the Regional Coordination and Development Committee of the Center (CCDRC) here.

The awards ceremony took place in Aveiro, on the 1st of July, at Praça do Município. Sixty-six representatives of the awarded companies were present. Representing MD3 were CTO, Gonçalo Dias and Lead Designer, Ana Lisboa.