Fujifilm invests 17 million in Portugal to launch prebiotic soda plant by 2027

Fujifilm’s €17 million investment in a new agro-industrial plant in northern Portugal marks the largest single foreign direct commitment to the country’s food and beverage sector this year, according to industry sources cited on Sunday. The project, located in Vila Nova de Famalicão, will produce high-value prebiotic fibre sodas for the EU market, with production slated to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The announcement follows a €540 million EU relief package announced on 14 June 2026 to support farmers facing a fertiliser crisis, underscoring the bloc’s dual focus on crisis mitigation and long-term innovation in agri-food systems.

The investment, confirmed by Fujifilm’s European headquarters in Brussels, will create 120 direct jobs and an estimated 350 indirect positions across logistics and retail. It aligns with a broader sectoral push: on the same day, Portugal’s agro-food and beverage industry reaffirmed its target to exceed €5 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2030, up from €4.2 billion in 2025. Industry leaders, speaking at a Lisbon conference, emphasised the need to “reduce state bureaucracy” to unlock further growth, warning that delays in licensing and permits could erode competitiveness.

The timing is critical. A study published by Nova SBE on 14 June 2026 found that Portugal’s domestic brewing sector alone generated €7.3 billion in socio-economic impact in 2025, with a productivity multiplier nearly three times the national average. “This is not just about production—it’s about building an ecosystem,” said Ana Gomes, director of the Portuguese Food and Drink Industry Association. “Investments like Fujifilm’s validate our strategy, but they also expose the bottlenecks that still exist.”

The EU’s fertiliser relief fund, mobilised the same day, will provide €540 million in emergency grants to small and medium-sized farms across the bloc, including Portugal, where fertiliser prices have surged 40% since January 2026. Meanwhile, the new prebiotic soda line—developed in partnership with Lisbon’s Nova University—represents a strategic pivot toward functional beverages, a segment projected to grow 8% annually in the EU through 2030.

Fujifilm’s commitment comes as Portugal’s Ministry of Economy reviews 36 pending investment applications under a new fast-track system for projects exceeding €50 million, introduced in May 2026. Two additional proposals—one in technology and another in audiovisual production—were submitted on 14 June, signalling renewed investor confidence after a sluggish first quarter. The ministry has not disclosed the names of the applicants.

For Portugal’s agro-food sector, the Fujifilm deal is both a validation and a challenge. “We have the ambition, the raw materials, and now the capital,” said Gomes. “What we need next is a state that can keep pace.”