"MADE IN PORTUGAL NATURALLY" IS BACK TO FRANKFURT TO SHOWCASE THE BEST OF THE PORTUGUESE HOME CLUSTER

• For the fourth year, the Portuguese Products Showcase, under the brand "Made in Portugal Naturally", will attend the Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld Fair.
• NERLEI CCI - Business Association of the Leiria Region / Chamber of Commerce and Industry is organizing this joint participation in partnership with AICEP and supports the individual presence of 73 companies.
• The fair takes place in Frankfurt, Germany, between the 7th and 11th of February, and is recognized as the world's largest gathering of the Home Cluster.

NERLEI CCI is once again organizing and promoting the Portuguese Products Showcase, under the brand "Made in Portugal Naturally", in partnership with AICEP, where 64 Portuguese companies will be representing what Portugal does best in the Home Cluster, in a joint stand at the largest event of consumer goods- the Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld Fair, which will be held from 7th to 11th February, in Frankfurt, Germany.

Following the success of this joint initiative in the three previous editions, hundreds of national products will once again have the opportunity to be exhibited in a joint space, located in hall 12.0C50, and curated by Miguel Costa Cabral, an interior designer from Porto. This showcase will spotlight new products from the various consumer goods segments for the thousands of visitors to the fair.

The official opening ceremony of the "Made in Portugal Naturally" stand will take place on 7th of February, at 4:00 PM, and will be attended by representatives of the Portuguese companies present at the Fair; international media; Portuguese official entities; Messe Frankfurt; Portugues Consul among others, who will be welcomed by the event hosts, AICEP, and NERLEI CCI.

NERLEI CCI has been working with companies from the Home Cluster for more than 20 years, organizing, supporting, and monitoring their individual participation in the Ambiente Fair. After more than two decades supporting Portuguese companies, we aimed to innovate and create a different approach to participation that would further highlight Portuguese companies. The "Made in Portugal Naturally" stand was designed to give center stage to what Portugal does best.

The various sectors of the Portuguese Home Cluster - which includes furniture, home textile, houseware (ceramics, cutlery, metallic crockery, small appliances, and glass/crystals), and lighting - are represented by more than 7.500 companies, which directly employ more than 61.000 people. The export volume of the Portuguese Home Cluster increased by 14% to 1.4 billion euros by August 2023. The French market contributed most to this result, with more than 472 million euros of sales. This country is followed by Spain, with a market share of 26%, and Germany, USA, and the United Kingdom, with around 5%.

Aiming to support the internationalization of small and medium-sized Portuguese companies, NERLEI CCI - Business Association of the Leiria Region / Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be attending the biggest event of the Home Cluster for the 23rd time. As part of its project co-funded by COMPETE 2030, the association is organizing and supporting the individual participation of 73 companies.

This year the Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld Fair Ambiente, will have the largest participation of Portuguese companies ever, with 105 Portuguese companies displaying their novelties.

About NERLEI CCI

Founded in 1985, the Association represents the business community of the Leiria region in Portugal and its main mission is to provide useful services that contribute positively to the results achieved by its member companies, strengthening the business community and promoting the economic and social development of the Leiria region and, in this way, of Portugal. Supporting the internationalization of companies is one of its main areas of activity, and the organization of international trade fairs is an area where it has more than 20 years of experience and know-how.

As a Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a status granted to the association in 2023, its aim is to strengthen institutional relations with European institutions and other organizations that support business activity in the various markets. Access to the network of Chambers of Commerce and Industry around the world will provide the business community with a vast network of contacts and business opportunities, which will make it possible to increase the international activity of the companies it represents.

About AICEP

Aicep Portugal Global is a public business entity dedicated to developing a competitive business environment that contributes to the globalization of the Portuguese economy.

About Ambiente

Ambiente, which has been held alongside Christmasworld and Creativeworld since last year, will take place in Frankfurt, Germany, from 7th to 11th February 2025.

This is the most important consumer goods Fair in the world and aims to highlight the latest global market trends and future visions. NERLEI CCI has been organizing and supporting the individual presence of Portuguese companies at AMBIENTE for over 20 years.

About NERLEI CCI's project to support the internationalization of companies - International Business 2023-2025

This is an integrated action of the International Business 2023-25 project, which NERLEI CCI is developing, and which aims to promote competitiveness and export capacity in a group of SMEs in the home, office, and automotive sectors, through collective participation in fairs, international missions and the implementation and promotion of international marketing actions, digital transformation, and the development of e-commerce in SMEs. It is funded by Portugal 2030, under the PITD - Innovation and Digital Transition Programme, for an overall amount of 7,373,726.41 euros, of which 3,997,426.0 euros come from the European Regional Development Fund.