The award recognises a multi-year investment programme focused on technological innovation, strengthening regulatory expertise and modernising production capacity. «We need to continue producing top-quality products, incorporating as much technology as possible while reducing the labour component», says Miguel Lopes da Cunha, CEO of Fapomed, stressing that cost pressures and medical device regulatory requirements make investment «absolutely» necessary. «Medical device regulations require knowledge and specialised teams, and that demands constant innovation and investment in technology», he summarises.
According to Miguel Lopes da Cunha, 2024 marked the start of the cycle that is now being implemented, with the largest volume of investment, «around €9 million», made in 2025.
The programme is continuing, according to the CEO, with new projects «worth almost €2 million» already planned. «We continue to invest; it is absolutely necessary».
Part of the investment went towards new facilities, reflecting the need to attract and retain employees. «If we do not provide the right conditions for people to feel comfortable, to think, to be productive, it is difficult», he believes.
However, «some of the operations are already robotised», particularly high-volume operations with stringent requirements, sometimes with «a tolerance margin of one millimetre». To ensure consistency, some of the work is supported by devices and tools that assist the process, «so that the product can be consistently produced correctly».
The company currently operates four production units: one in Salgueiros (Felgueiras), two in Baião and one sterilisation unit.
It also maintains its operation in Ukraine, where it produces «four million gowns a year», with around 200 employees. In Poland, its presence is purely commercial. «Poland has enormous growth potential and can help us achieve scale», he believes, stressing the need to have «scale in order to have a competitive product».
Currently, 83% of production is exported. Geographically, the CEO mentions a presence in Europe and markets such as the US, Australia and the Middle East, highlighting the progress of commercial activities in the Gulf region, particularly in Dubai, where participation in trade fairs «has already delivered results».
The company works mainly with distributors, combining different business models, including private-label production, supplying European kit-pack assemblers and developing its own brand, which «already accounts for around a third of our business», he notes.
Moving forward on sustainability
For 2026, the year in which Fapomed celebrates four decades in business, Miguel Lopes da Cunha identifies sustainability as a central focus, with the year expected to be marked by ISO 14001 environmental certification and the measurement of its carbon footprint.
It is also expected to be the year in which Fapomed brings reusable medical devices to market, an area combining technological innovation, sustainability and a high level of regulatory requirements. Miguel Lopes da Cunha stresses that this transition cannot be approached simplistically, warning of the risks of treating these products as mere textiles. «It must be treated as a medical device. It is not a garment; it is a medical device», he states.
According to the CEO, the company began structured research and development work in this area more than a year ago, with a view to launching a reusable surgical gown, aimed primarily at Northern European markets and, subsequently, Portugal. «We have been developing it for more than a year, and it will only be in mid-2026 that we launch a product that we know meets the requirements for a reusable medical device», he explains.
The process involves lengthy trials, external laboratory testing and rigorous validation. «We have already carried out almost a year of testing, trials and washing», he notes, stressing that durability and product performance over multiple cycles of use are critical factors. «The problem is not delivering the garment; it is understanding whether it can withstand washing and the physical wear associated with multiple use cycles», he adds.
Unlike disposable nonwoven products, this new solution will be developed using technical fabric, opening up a new commercial avenue and responding to the specific requirements of certain markets. «It is about opening up another commercial opportunity as the market begins to have this need», he explains, stressing that this move does not represent an abandonment of disposables, but rather an expansion of the portfolio.
The introduction of reusable devices is also part of the company’s sustainability strategy, although Miguel Lopes da Cunha makes a point of clearly distinguishing between concepts. For the CEO, reuse is not automatically synonymous with sustainability if all impacts throughout the product’s life cycle are not taken into account. «We have to be very careful», he warns, noting that washing processes, logistics and post-use control can introduce new risks and environmental costs.
In this context, Fapomed is working in parallel on a broader approach to circularity, seeking solutions that make it possible to close the material loop in hospital environments, an area it considers particularly complex, pointing to legal and operational limitations that still exist.
The company is preparing to take part in pilot projects involving hospitals, logistics operators, polymer manufacturers and processors, with the aim of creating controlled streams of uncontaminated waste and reintegrating them into the production chain. «We will be able to close the loop», he believes, while acknowledging that the viability of these models requires significant industrial scale.
For 2026, Miguel Lopes da Cunha also sets out a specific sourcing target. «For the first time, we will be able to have all relevant raw materials made in Europe», adding that this will make it possible to strengthen “Made in Europe”, although without completely excluding Asian suppliers.
With turnover of around €21 million, the main constraints on growth are «tight» margins and competitive pressure. Even so, he considers the company to be «healthy» and sees potential for growth in 2026.
