The components produced at Ysium, a company founded in 2014 on the former Leica site, are now used in sectors as diverse as aerospace, military and defence, watchmaking, medicine, optics and mobility. These are high value-added components that set the company apart in demanding and competitive markets. 

Ysium specialises in micro-precision engineering, operating in industrial niches where technical rigour and embedded expertise are crucial. “We manufacture highly complex, high-value-added components,” emphasises founder and owner Hugo Freitas, highlighting the company’s positioning in segments where technological differentiation is decisive.

The Mayor, Mário Passos, visited the company on Thursday 16 April, as part of the Famalicão Created IN initiative, which has taken the mayor to local businesses focused on innovation, development, sustainability and technological know-how, creating value for the local and national economy.

Mário Passos cited Ysium as an example of the municipality’s entrepreneurial capacity, “a reflection of what we want to see continue to happen, with the transformation of industry into a highly specialised, value-added sector, committed to innovation and with a strong export focus”, to establish the region’s presence in global markets.

It is precisely this focus on differentiation that enables the Famalicão-based company to integrate into highly demanding international supply chains, with production currently geared towards sectors such as mobility, medicine, and the military and defence industries. Examples include components incorporated into the shells used in the Leopard 2 military tank, namely the directional capsule or stabiliser, a part that is fired at extremely high speeds, over distances of several kilometres and with high levels of precision, demonstrating the capability developed in Famalicão.

“Growth has been sustained and the aim is to consolidate our capacity to meet the demands of such a demanding market, where added value and technical specificity are very much in evidence,” explains Hugo Freitas.

With a turnover of around 10 million euros and a team of 70 professionals, most of whom have been trained in-house, Ysium combines advanced technology with strong human expertise. “Our staff continue to make the difference in an industry where attention to detail and knowledge are fundamental,” emphasised the entrepreneur.