Inova-Ria – Association of Companies for an Innovation Network – is a non-profit organization created in 2003, and it’s located in Aveiro, Portugal. Its fundamental mission consists in the consolidation of a group of companies of telecommunications which contributes for the development and competitiveness of the Aveiro Region and of the ICT Sector in Portugal.
Inova-Ria main goals include the promotion of synergies and economies of scale in several areas like: innovation, R&D and collaborative development, professional training, marketing and promotion, commercialization and internationalization.
At the moment, Inova-Ria has 61 associated companies, representing an aggregated turnover of M156 Euros, employing 1400 persons, whose great majority (more than 70%) has a high education degree. When it comes to mention the names of the associated companies, names like NEC, Nokia Siemens Networks, Ericsson and Portugal Telecom Innovation points out, as well as other SME’s with an active presence in international markets.
Apart from supplying the set of services referred ahead, Inova-Ria is deeply committed in the qualification of its associated companies in some of the most important quality standards like the ISO 20 000, ISO 27 001, CMMI and innovation, and R&D management.
Furthermore, Inova-Ria is also very involved in creating the conditions for the exposure of its associated companies into international markets, being one of the promoting entities of the SCHOLA.PT initiative. Inova-Ria is also responsible, together with ANETIE, for a group of business missions to markets such as Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Angola, Mozambique, Poland and Libya, all to be developed in 2010.
Committed to the Portuguese ICT sector, it should be stated that Inova-Ria is Vice-President of Directive Council of the Portuguese Center for the Information and Communication Technologies, TICE.PT, and President of its Executive Board.
Concerning its vocation and mission, the activity developed by Inova-Ria stands fundamentally in providing and supporting services to its associated members like:
Promotion, organization and management of internships into associated companies;
Advanced professional training and qualification;
Looking for business opportunities for its associated members;
Promotion of its associated companies at national and international levels;
Promotion of integrated R&D projects;
Promotion of integrated projects of entrepreneurial qualifi¬cation;
Promotion of synergies with external institutions;
Concertation at different levels and with different entities.
