The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Manufacturing (24 - 25) Manufacture of metals 24.4 - Manufacture of basic precious and other non-ferrous metals 24.42 - Aluminium production
300 jobs Number of planned job creations
Announcement Date
22 January 2026
Employment effect (start)
31 March 2026
Foreseen end date
1 January 2030
Description
Exlabesa, a Spanish-based multinational, has announced a €40 million investment in Soure (Coimbra district) to expand its facilities, thereby increasing its production capacity. This investment will create 300 new jobs over the next four years, adding to the site’s current workforce of 100 employees.
The construction works are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026. The expansion is driven by the company’s strategy to increase production capacity—from 16,000 to 45,000 tonnes annually—and enter high value‑added markets such as naval, defence, and mobility. The project also aligns with a commitment to sustainability and the green transition, including reducing the carbon footprint of new products and investing in circular‑economy processes such as material recovery and process optimisation.
The company states that it will prioritise local recruitment, particularly women. The Mayor highlighted the importance of this investment for the region.
Eurofound (2026), Exlabesa, Business expansion in Portugal, factsheet number 204120, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/204120.
Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns.
The retail banking sector is fertile ground for studying the impacts of digitalisation on work and employment. Financial services are increasingly provided online, without the intermediary of customer-facing institutions.
European labour markets have recovered strongly from COVID-19. By the end of 2021, little more than 18 months after the start of the pandemic, employment rates in the EU were almost at pre-crisis levels.
