ASSOCIACAO EMPRESARIAL DE PORTUGAL

Their core work

AEP is Portugal's leading business association, headquartered in Porto, operating as a national node within the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). Their core mission is helping Portuguese SMEs access innovation management services, build international business capacity, and connect with European technology and market opportunities. Within H2020, they exclusively participated in EEN coordination and support actions, serving as an intermediary between EU innovation programmes and the Portuguese SME ecosystem.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015-2018), AEP focused squarely on general innovation management and internationalisation capacities for Portuguese SMEs — classic EEN brokerage work. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted toward the European Innovation Council (EIC) instruments, specifically Pathfinder and Accelerator programmes, suggesting they moved from broad SME support toward guiding companies through competitive EU deep-tech funding schemes. This evolution mirrors the EU's own institutional shift from generic SME instruments to the more selective EIC framework.

AEP is moving from general SME support toward specialised advisory on EIC Accelerator and Pathfinder applications, making them increasingly relevant for companies seeking deep-tech EU funding.

How they like to work

AEP has participated exclusively as a partner — never as coordinator — across all four projects, consistent with their role as a national EEN node operating within centrally coordinated European networks. With 11 consortium partners across their portfolio but only 1 country of collaboration recorded, they appear to work within a tight national or regional cluster. This makes them a reliable delivery partner for Portugal-focused activities rather than a consortium architect.

AEP has worked with 11 distinct consortium partners, but collaboration appears concentrated within a single country (likely Portugal-based EEN partner organisations). Their network is nationally deep rather than internationally broad.

What sets them apart

AEP is not a research organisation or technology provider — it is a business membership association representing Portuguese enterprises, which gives it direct access to thousands of companies across sectors. For consortium builders, this means AEP can mobilise SME end-users, organise industry validation workshops, and provide dissemination reach into the Portuguese business community. Their progression toward EIC advisory also makes them a useful partner for projects needing industry engagement and exploitation pathways in Portugal.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EEN-InnovationJouney PT
  Most recent and only funded project (EUR 53,532), marking AEP's pivot toward EIC Accelerator and Pathfinder advisory services.
• EEN-Innovation PT
  First H2020 engagement (2015), establishing AEP's role in the Enterprise Europe Network for SME innovation management in Portugal.