NKA – New Knowledge Advice, Lda., is a technological company that designs and develops global solutions aimed at transforming its customers’ businesses, making them more apt to respond to the growing demands of the markets. It holds a Quality Management System Certificate, according to the NP EN ISO 9001:2015 standard, for the activities of Design, Development and Implementation of Customized Software and Consultancy and IT Technical Assistance.

Its object is to provide services for the development of application software, conducting studies, consulting and managing information and computer technologies.

NKA is very focused on providing superior quality services in its areas of intervention, as well as on the development of highly sophisticated technology that allows it to have a portfolio of innovative solutions for its customers.

Aware of the trends and challenges within the scope of industry 4.0 and the digitalization of the industry, it assumes as priorities, in the context of the development of new technological solutions and products, research areas such as:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI);
• Big data;
• Machine Learning;
• Internet of Things (IoT);
• Systems integration, specifically in the different information systems used at the industry level.

In this sense, it develops, internally and in partnership with entities of the SNCTI – National System of Science, Technology and Innovation, research, innovation and technological development activities, for the development of new technological solutions and new products for the industry.

ACIB – Barcelos Commercial and Industrial Association, is one of the most representative business associations in the country and throughout its 130 years of history has provided relevant services to the region and to companies in the sectors of commerce, services, tourism and industry. As a result of the statutory amendment of January 19, 1990, ACIB assumed a prominent role in defending the interests of the region’s industrial fabric, providing specific services to associated companies, with a focus on training, competitiveness, internationalization, marketing, innovation , technology, digital economy, digitalization, economic and environmental sustainability.

It is strongly committed to reinforcing the support it provides to companies in general and to the industrial fabric in particular, focusing on greater proximity and new services to respond to the new challenges that the business fabric faces, namely with regard to innovation, industry 4.0, transformation digital / digitization, environmental sustainability and promotion of environmentally friendly industries, new technological solutions that result from innovation, research and technological development activities, celebrating partnerships and protocols that allow achieving this goal and that allow a response to the specific needs of each industry.

The Cooperation Protocol signed deals with innovative technological solutions for the industry, in the area of ​​production management, among others, the technological solution developed by NKA in partnership with CITEVE – Technological Center for Textile and Clothing Industries of Portugal, within the scope of of the Technological Research and Development project, entitled S4TI, to help companies in the textile and clothing sector to improve and optimize the task of prototyping and/or sample production, contributing to better performance and a smaller environmental footprint. The S4TI solution has two main objectives: to support the price formation process and provide the most similar product data sheets and their attributes, quickly and automatically, through the systematization of information and data processing, using artificial intelligence algorithms, machine learning techniques and case-based reasoning. In addition to reducing the time and cost of the design process, the environmental footprint of production is also significantly reduced, by making a more efficient and rational use of resources.

Within the scope of the object of this Cooperation Protocol, NKA and ACIB, assume the commitment and total commitment in the creation of conditions that allow the development and implementation of new projects and new technological partnerships, which will be implemented through specific addenda.