Körber Business Area Supply Chain celebrated the groundbreaking of its newest manufacturing facility in Portugal, marking a major milestone in the company’s continued investment in innovation, capacity, and people. Located in the Ermida Industrial Park in Santo Tirso, near Porto, the new site will serve as a flagship for Körber’s operational excellence.
The groundbreaking ceremony, held 2nd June, welcomed Körber’s Porto leadership team, the City Hall President Dr. Alberto Costa, and strategic partners to celebrate the beginning of the construction. With this symbolic event, Körber underscores its strategic commitment to long-term growth and industrial leadership.
“With the groundbreaking of our new facility in Santo Tirso, we are investing in state-of-the-art technology, a highly skilled workforce, and a strong future for Körber and the Porto region,” said Körber CEO Stephan Seifert. “This project underlines our global growth strategy and demonstrates our belief in Portugal’s potential and innovative spirit. Together with our teams, partners, and the local community, we aim to set new standards for the future.”
Factory for the future
Expected to be in operation by the second half of 2026, the new 11,400-square-metre site will significantly expand Körber Business Area Supply Chain’s logistics and manufacturing capacity. The facility will focus on the development and production of Körber’s state-of-the-art technology for supply chain solutions, including mechanical, electrical, and software automation integration.
Designed to accommodate up to 60 flexible workstations, the factory will also feature:
• A Research and Development area for prototyping and innovation
• State-of-the-art-showroom with automation technologies
• BREEAM “Very Good” certification for sustainability
• Advanced testing areas for each equipment stream
The new factory supports Körber’s strategic pillars of sustainable growth, best-in-class solutions, and operational excellence. It also positions Portugal as a key industrial and innovation hub within Körber’s global network.
“This investment will allow Körber to further strengthen our market position in Europe and globally, and highlights Körber’s confidence in Porto” said Helena Garriga, Körber Executive Board Member and President Business Area Supply Chain. “This is a strategic step to strengthen our leadership in the global intralogistics market.”
Körber is proactively strengthening its teams across the organization to support competitive growth, with plans to employ over 400 full-time staff in Porto by the end of 2025. New local job opportunities will span nearly every area of the business: Customer Service, Engineering, R&D, Manufacturing, Logistics, Quality Assurance, Procurement, Project Management, Solution Design, and Sales.
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, foundation work will begin in July 2025, with operations expected to begin by the second half of 2026. Körber will continue to engage with Invest Santo Tirso and other regional partners to create new employment opportunities, invest in local skills development, and collaborate with universities and training institutions.
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