APEMETA is a private and non-profit business association with the goal of supporting the activity and entrepreneurship in the environmental sector and it is also an ENGO. Over its 30 years of existence, APEMETA gained the status of public utility while providing its associated member companies, actually >160 companies, services like technical and legal support to activities or support to internationalization and innovation and technology transfer processes.

Currently it is organized in four main departments- Projects; Quality; Image and Communication and Financial managed by a Committee-Board and all activities are certified by a Quality Management System (NP EN ISO 9001: 2015). The staff is composed by 6 employees working in full time to support all activities, completed by a pool of trainers and consultants with whom works regularly to complete skills and achieve its objectives.

Throughout the annual organization of more than ten seminars on the main environmental themes (waste, water, energy, soil, etc), APEMETA normally gathers the main sector and subsectors stakeholders (public and private companies and entities, government, universities, etc), fostering reflection and debate, promoting and disseminating technologies and technological trends whilst identifying main future trends and needs. Public (>1500 people in 2020) profile is varied reaching companies and public institutions directing and technical staff along with professors, researchers and students.

APEMETA is also a certified training provider promoting several training courses in its annual plan or tailored to companies’ needs; develops and implements projects with its associates (I&D, environmental education, etc) and disseminates information through its activities and online, in social networks and via a monthly newsletter.

APEMETA develops a relevant work on the field of collective support to the Environmental Sector, whose results are recognized not only by the member companies, but others, involved in the environmental sector, and both national and international partners. This relevant know-how and proficiency have been gained through leading or partnering in several projects, many with public co-financing under Portuguese operational programs.

Over the years APEMETA has published several open access specific reports on and for the environmental sector aiming at reducing knowledge gaps, and keeps actively promoting cooperation and coopetition providing tools like the online platform www.ambienteportugal.pt that gathers Portuguese companies operating in the Environmental Sector and related ones (actually >265 registered entities), publicizing their profile and interests, thus fostering several collaboration pathways.  In addition, it has built a considerable number of international partnerships with more than 50 entities worldwide, along 25 different countries with whom establishes communication and action bridges for creation of synergies and to proportionate the development of favourable business environments. APEMETA has also dedicated many open access publications to Sector’s internationalization potential and opportunities on foreign (environmental) markets.

Additionally, the Association leads projects intended directly for reinforcement of SME competitiveness through “action-learning” programs and also projects promoting youth entrepreneurship and the creation of companies and start-ups, especially those focused on Green Economy.

APEMETA activities actively try to reach and cover the Environmental Sector as a whole, from students to technical staff working in the companies, from decision makers to researchers, acting both nationally and internationally.