Morais Leitão hosts the ALF National Conference on Investment and the Future of Mobility

Morais Leitão hosted, on 20 May, the ALF 2026 National Conference — organised by the Portuguese Association of Leasing, Factoring and Renting — under the theme "Investing in the Future: Leasing, Factoring and Renting". Banking leaders, business association representatives, mobility experts and government members gathered to debate the challenges of global geopolitics, the competitiveness of Portuguese companies and the ongoing transformations in mobility, with specialised finance at the centre of the discussion.

The session was opened by Luís Augusto, President of ALF, and Paulo Portas, former Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence. Luís Augusto presented the sector's performance figures: leasing financed investments worth €3.2 billion, the movable assets segment grew by 4%, and renting recorded a 9.6% increase in the number of light vehicles under contract, with a total managed fleet of 146,160 vehicles, of which more than 27,000 are zero-emission. Paulo Portas underlined that international instability reinforces the need for European economies to deepen their cohesion and capacity to respond.

Margarida Torres Gama, partner at Morais Leitão, moderated the first panel, focused on corporate competitiveness and the role of specialised finance. The panel brought together Ana Rosas Oliveira (Banco BPI), Ana Carvalho (Caixa Geral de Depósitos), João Nuno Palma (Millennium BCP), Isabel Silva (Banco Montepio) and Amílcar Lourenço (Banco Santander). The discussion highlighted the growing sophistication of leasing, factoring and renting products and the importance of integrating them into companies' technology platforms. The panel concluded that the sector must remain active in supporting business investment as companies navigate the digital and climate transitions.

Eduardo Maia Cadete, partner at Morais Leitão, moderated the second panel, which focused on strategic investment and the internationalisation of Portuguese companies, with contributions from Berta Dias da Cunha (Portuguese-Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Gustavo Paulo Duarte (Portuguese Confederation of Commerce and Services) and António Ramalho (Lisboa, Feiras, Congressos e Eventos). Key conclusions included the relevance of the Iberian market as a platform for broader internationalisation and the importance of strategic sectors such as energy, telecommunications and digital infrastructure.
The third panel, "The Future of Mobility", moderated by Rui Gidro (Deloitte), brought together Helder Pedro (ACAP), Gonçalo Castelo Branco (EDP) and Luís Magalhães (Stellantis Portugal), addressing the challenges of decarbonising the automotive sector, the role of electric mobility and the regulatory uncertainties surrounding plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The programme also included the presentation of the ALF Specialised Finance Awards, in their second edition, with eleven prizes awarded to the institutions with the highest production volumes and growth across the different product categories, including the award for leadership in electric mobility. The closing remarks were delivered by Gonçalo Saraiva Matias, Minister of State and Public Administration Reform.

More information here.