Lisbon, Oct. 1, 2026 (Lusa) - The Alfeite Shipyard, on the south bank of the River Tagus in the Lisbon region, is to adopt a «new management and operational business model» based on a partnership between the public body idD Portugal Defence and the Italian firm Fincantieri, the Ministry of Defence has announced, whilst assuring that there will be no redundancies.
This position is set out in a government statement addressed to the workers at the Alfeite Shipyard and sent to the media on Wednesday, following a meeting between the defence minister, Nuno Melo, and the company's management and workers' committee.
Under the European SAFE loans, Portugal is to acquire three new-generation frigates from the Italian company Fincantieri, a deal which includes investment in the Alfeite Arsenal, a naval shipyard that has been experiencing serious financial difficulties for years.
According to the Government, the European SAFE initiative «enables the consolidation of a strategic partnership with Italy, its government and its industry, and paves the way for the revitalisation of the shipyard through a joint venture between idD Portugal Defence S.A. [the Portuguese state-owned holding company responsible for managing defence sector holdings] and Fincantieri, S.p.A.».
«The joint venture will be responsible for carrying out the revitalisation, implementing the investment and upgrading the shipyard, as well as promoting training and the qualification of staff, and its subsequent operation, under a sub-concession from the State,» the statement reads.
The ministry adds that the transition of Arsenal do Alfeite, S.A. «to the new management and operational model will take place over a period of approximately one year, during which the processes leading to the revitalisation will be set in motion».
«Not a single job will be lost. This revitalisation is structured to protect workers. The existing knowledge, experience and skills are among the factors justifying the investment and commitment to the Arsenal's future, reinforcing the shipyard's sustainability and aiming to provide more solid prospects for the future for all those who work there,» the government assures.
This partnership, the Government adds, will ensure «investment, more technology, greater industrial capacity, and more opportunities for skills development and specialised training for workers, whilst preserving and enhancing the Arsenal's knowledge and skills».
The Portuguese Navy «will continue to be the priority client, and the support, maintenance and operational readiness of its naval assets will remain at the very heart of the shipyard's activities», the statement reads.
The Government emphasises that the Navy «is in the midst of a transformation cycle, incorporating new vessels that are technologically more advanced and more demanding», which require «new maintenance capabilities, new infrastructure, new facilities and more docking space, greater technological integration and higher standards of quality».
«We want the maintenance of these new naval vessels to remain in Portugal and continue to be carried out at this shipyard. For this to be possible, the Arsenal's production capacity must be increased,» the statement adds.
In December last year, in response to questions from the Lusa news agency, representatives of the Italian company Fincantieri expressed their willingness to make «significant investments» in the Alfeite Arsenal, involving Portuguese shipyards and companies in the production of vessels.
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