Founded in 1991, the CEGEA - Consulting Unit in Management and Applied Economics provides the community with the resources and capabilities of the Católica Porto Business School. The CEGEA combines research capacity and academic independence with the attention to customer characteristic of a consulting firm.

Areas of activity and customers

The studies carried out by CEGEA spread over the various areas of Economics and Management from Industrial Economics, Competition and Regulation to Marketing, from Rural Economy, Environment and Natural Resources to International Business, or from Social Economy to Human Resources Management. While this does not constitute a limitation to its activities, CEGEA focuses on subjects of particular relevance to the community in which it operates, in particular to the North of Portugal.

With more than 20 years of activity, CEGEA has a long list of costumers. The business world is represented by firms (such as ADIRA, EDP, Metro do Porto, Solverde, SONAE, SPGM, TAP or Unilever Jerónimo Martins), trade associations (such as Associação Empresarial de Portugal and trade associations for such diverse industries as footwear, pharmaceuticals, and moulds) and also “competitiveness poles” (such as PRODUTECH and the Fashion Industry competitiveness pole). CEGEA also works regularly with regulatory agencies (ie., the regulatory agencies for Health, Media, and Road Transports, and also the Competition Authority), government and other administrative bodies (i.e., the Ministries for Economics and Environment, the procurement agency for the Health Ministry, the Portuguese investment and external trade agency, the Coordination and Development Committee for Northern Portugal) and international institutions (such as OECD and the European Commission). But CEGEA’s costumers also include a variety of other institutions such as Associação Comercial do Porto, Porto Derivatives Exchange, the National Confederation of Solidarity Institutions, the National Federation of Dairy Cooperatives, BIAL Foundation, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, Prelada Hospital, the Institute of Douro and Porto Wines, the Portuguese Professional Footbal League, the Dentists Bar, among many others.

Technical team

As an interface body between the Católica Porto Business School and the community, CEGEA resorts to the school’s faculty in its activities: the Católica Porto Business School currently employs about fifty doctorates who allow answers to requests from most areas of Management and Economics. 

The CEGEA also benefits from its inclusion in the Portuguese Catholic University and may, depending on the nature of the work to develop, resort to the faculty of its other schools, particularly in the field of law. In addition, the CEGEA often collaborates with other national and international research centres.

CEGEA's Recent Projects 

OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS (2022) ADULT-USE CANNABIS REGULATION: A SCOPING REVIEW OF LITERATURE
With financial support from the Global Drug Policy Program of the Open Society Foundations, CEGEA did a scoping review of the most recent literature on adult-use cannabis regulation.

AIMMP – PORTUGUESE ASSOCIATION OF WOOD AND FURNITURE INDUSTRIES (2022) STUDY, DIAGNOSIS AND ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CHARACTERISATION OF THE SECTOR 
For AIMMP, CEGEA analysed the financial situation of companies in the timber and furniture industries and the obstacles they encounter in financing their activity. 
https://aimmp.pt/

ANJE - NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS (2022) THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF PORTUGAL FASHION 2017-2021
At the request of its promoter, ANJE, CEGEA evaluated the economic impact of the “Portugal Fashion” program, one of the main initiatives to promote Portuguese fashion.
https://portugalfashion.com/

APAC PORTUGAL (2022) BUSINESS CASE FOR A HALFWAY HOUSE
APAC Portugal is an association to support former prisoners who asked CEGEA to develop a business case related to the creation of halfway houses that facilitate the gradual integration of former prisoners in the society.
https://reshape.org/

APCOR – PORTUGUESE CORK ASSOCIATION (2020)  STRATEGIC SECTOR STUDY: FROM THE FOREST TO THE CONSUMER 
CEGEA, in collaboration with Agro.Ges, has prepared a study for APCOR on the characteristics of the cork industry and its strategic challenges for the coming years.
https://www.apcor.pt/portfolio-posts/a-fileira-da-cortica-da-floresta-ao-consumidor/

APS - PORTS OF SINES AND THE ALGARVE AUTHORITY (2020) STRATEGIC OPTIONS FOR THE PORT OF SINES
CEGEA advised APS in the preparation of the Strategic Plan for the Port of Sines for the period 2020-2030.
http://www.apsinesalgarve.pt/

BLUEBIRD (2020)  STUDY OF TASHI BRAND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR 
Bluebird, a well-known chain of watch shops, resorted to CEGEA to better understand consumer behaviour towards the TASHI brand.
https://www.bluebird.pt/ 

CÂMARA MUNICIPAL DO PORTO (2021) LOCAL ACCOMMODATION IN OPORTO MUNICIPALITY
CEGEA has prepared for the Porto City Council a report on the impact of short-term tourist accommodation on the city's housing market. The objective was to provide empirical evidence, geographically disaggregated, relevant to support the discussion on the possible need for public intervention in these markets.
https://www.cm-porto.pt/

DOURO INTERMUNICIPAL COMMUNITY (ONGOING) TERRITORIAL MARKETING PLAN
The Douro Intermunicipal Community hired CEGEA to develop a Territorial Marketing Plan that contributes to enhance the region's endogenous resources and thus contribute to its development.
https://cimdouro.pt/

COTEC PORTUGAL (2020) CIRCULAR AND DIGITAL BIOECONOMY: OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE TRANSITION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PORTUGUESE ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY  
In collaboration with the Faculty of Biotechnology, CEGEA prepared for COTEC a report on the opportunities that the circular and digital bioeconomy opens to the Portuguese economy.
https://cotecportugal.pt/pt/courses/bioeconomia-circular-e-digital-oportunidades-para-a-transicao-e-desenvolvimento-sustentavel-da-economia-e-industria-portuguesa/

EDP (2013-...) – SUPPORT TO THE ETHICS OMBUDSMAN OFFICE
Since 2013, CEGEA has been supporting the EDP Group, through the Ethics Ombudsman Office, in developing mechanisms and processes for ethical performance management.
https://www.edp.com/pt-pt/conheca-o-provedor-de-etica

ERSAR - REGULATORY AGENCY OF WATER AND WASTE SERVICES (ONGOING) – ADVICE ON THE FINANCIAL EVALUATION OF CONCESSION CONTRACTS
CEGEA advises ERSAR on the economic and financial assessment of contracts with regulated entities, particularly in the context of their conclusion or renegotiation.

FCG - CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION (2022) - STUDY ON GRANT-GIVING ACTIVITY
CEGEA has reviewed FCG's grant-giving activity at its request to extract lessons to support the preparation of a new strategic cycle. 
https://gulbenkian.pt/

FENALAC – NATIONAL FEDERATION OF MILK PRODUCERS COOPERATIVES (2020) EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF THE POST-2020 CAP REFORM ON THE MILK SECTOR IN PORTUGAL
FENALAC resorted to CEGEA to analyze the possible impacts of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union on Portuguese milk producers.
https://fenalac.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Sumario-Executivo.pdf

FRANCISCO MANUEL DOS SANTOS FOUNDATION (2022) - THE REGULATORY STATE IN PORTUGAL - EVOLUTION AND PERFORMANCE
With the support of the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, CEGEA studied the impact on the Portuguese regulatory state of the Regulatory Entities Framework Law of 2013 and the creation of the Court of Competition, Regulation and Supervision. 
https://www.ffms.pt/

AMÉLIA DE MELLO FOUNDATION (2021) THE CUF GROUP, OLIVE OIL AND OTHER OILS – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
As part of the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the entrepreneur Alfredo da Silva, the Amélia de Mello Foundation sponsored a CEGEA study on the CUF Group's intervention in the olive oil and oilseed sector.
https://principia.pt/livro/a-cuf-o-azeite-e-as-oleaginosas/

PRODUTECH - PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES POLE (2021 ) - CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PORTUGUESE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES INDUSTRIES
At the request of PRODUTECH, CEGEA carried out a study of the production technologies industries in Portugal and an analysis of potential mechanisms to encourage the renewal and conversion of production systems of Portuguese companies.
http://www.produtech.org/

SPGM SOCIDADE DE INVESTIMENTO S.A. (2019) THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE PORTUGUESE MUTUAL GUARANTEE SCHEME 2011-2016
After the financial crisis of 2008-2009, mutual guarantees gained great relevance in the Portuguese financial system. CEGEA has been supporting SPGM in the evaluation of the impact that this financial product has on the Portuguese economy. The most recent study confirmed the benefits to users of mutual guarantees in the form of increased access and lower cost of finance, which have a positive impact on investment, employment and a higher probability of survival. The study also quantified the impact of the mutual guarantees on national GDP and employment.
https://www.spgm.pt/pt/

SUPER BOCK BEBIDAS S.A. (2019) CONSULTANCY IN COMPETITION ISSUES
In 2019, CEGEA advised Super Bock on analyzing the competitive impact of its business practices.
https://www.superbockgroup.com/

TRANSPORTES INTERMODAIS DO PORTO (2020) BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM
Transportes Intermodais do Porto sought CEGEA's advice to design and implement a Business Intelligence system.