During the two-day event, the fair brought together around 60 exhibitors who showcased innovative and technological solutions impacting the wine and vineyard sector. The event returned to Exponor with the goal of positioning itself as the largest national event in the field, promoting internationally recognized companies.
Matosinhos, Porto, February 13, 2024 – After a 16-year hiatus, the Enotécnica Fair returned to the Leça da Palmeira exhibition park to showcase the strength of the wine sector's business landscape, with around 60 exhibiting companies and2,164 visitors, including producers and specialists, gathered in an environment of innovation, networking, and business opportunities.
“We believe that this is a valuable sector in the national economy and that a fair with the characteristics of Enotécnica was a real necessity. The companies and entities in the sector proved to us that we were heading in the right direction, participating with enthusiasm and demonstrating the commitment and resilience of the entire cluster,” highlights Amélia Estevão, Marketing Director at Exponor.
In addition to national visitors, there was also notable participation from an international audience from various continents, including Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Denmark), America(USA and Brazil), and Asia(China).
The "lightest glass bottle ever" and the innovations from the multi-million-euro PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan).
A highlight of the returning edition was the Vine&Wine Space, in which some of the companies from the consortium of the same name participated. The project, led by Granvinhos, is part of the Mobilizing Agendas for Business Innovation, supported by 41 million euros from the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan) and European Funds.
This consortium brings together 44 entities from the productive, technological, and research sectors, working on solutions to address the challenges the industry faces. Among the Products, Processes, and Services (PPSs) under development, two key innovations stood out during the event: a robot designed for fertilization tasks, aimed at addressing the labor shortage in agriculture, being developed by the Institute of Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC), and the multirotor sprayer drone, being developed by UAVision. This prototype aims to replace tractors in the spraying task, addressing soil quality degradation and reducing energy consumption. Representing a 1.5 million euro investment, it is estimated that this PPS will be completed by the end of the year.
The Vine&Wine consortium also coordinated the organization of workshops and conferences as part of the "Technical Sessions" program, ensuring knowledge exchange. In total, more than 500 participants took part in the dynamic activities.
As for the companies that showcased their solutions, the more than decade-long hiatus did not diminish their interest in participating. For Sáez Ortega, which participated with the Posviman brand, this was their debut at a sector fair in the northern part of the country. The Spanish group provides metal posts for vineyards and is a reference both nationally and internationally. With 25 years of experience, they operate in 25 countries, and in Portugal, they have clients from the Douro to Alentejo. Fernando Peres Martinéz, the commercial director, explains that they were surprised by the high attendance, particularly since the fair attracted only a professional and technical audience, which allowed them to make valuable contacts.
One of the standout booths at the edition was the French company Verallia, the third-largest global producer of glass packaging for food and beverages. With innovative solutions, the company owns 32 factories in 12 countries. In Portugal, with a plant located in Figueira da Foz, where they produce 500 million bottles annually, they employ 250 people. At this fair, their main innovation was the “new Bordalesa bottle, the lightest ever, weighing only 300 grams (Bord AIR 300g).” Luís Beata, the company’s marketing manager, explains that this solution “reflects Verallia’s commitment to reimagining glass for a sustainable future.” Regarding their debut at Enotécnica, he mentioned that there is room for improvement in the future, especially in terms of size, but they were surprised by the number of visitors and customers, both new and recurring.
The interest in keeping this a professional event was mentioned by the companies present, and the desire was heard. Thus, Enotécnica will return in 2026, on a biennial basis.
The Companhia das Soluções is the agency responsible for the communication and press office of Exponor.
