CATIM, the Technological center for the metal working industry is a non-profit private institution of public utility, that resulted from the association of interests, industries, and associations with public companies.

It was established under the Decree-Law No. 249/86 of August 25, with the changes that were introduced by Decree 312/95 of November 29 and registered as a Public Utility Institution, as published in the Official Gazette No. 15, II series of 87/01/19, at the Commercial Registry of Oporto, Registration No. 2, under the tax number 501 630 473.

Its mission is to contribute to innovation and competitiveness of national metal industries and similar or complementary sectors.

CATIM aims to support the technical and technological development of the industry by:

• service rendering;

• providing their knowledge and skills for initiatives in order to promote innovation and industrial competitiveness;

• execution of the tasks inherent to the responsibilities assumed under the National Systems and European Standards, Qualification, Metrology and CE Marking.

CATIM has managed to perform a great impact on the Portuguese metalworking industrial sector which could be illustrated by the fact that CATIM grew in such way that today CATIM has about 615 company associates and more than 2500 clients.

CATIM has a very advanced and agile management policy and practice, informed by the advanced organizational and management paradigms, that provided its continuous and true organizational sustainability, which is to notify, especially considering today’s worldwide financial and economic crisis.