Portugal, located in the south west of Europe, with its coastline facing the Atlantic, was the most central geography in the world and therefore conducive to browsing.

The country turned to the sea and started the maritime expansion.

Over 500 years ago, the Portuguese consolidated and perfected technology tools such as charts, travel itineraries, needle compasses, ships and caravels.

The caravel, a bigger ship with with deeper shallow keel. Had two masts and triangular sails. Was swift and, and most importantly, allowing beating. Technology that the Portuguese discovered and developed the first vessel suitable for ocean exploration. Portuguese navigators began to orient themselves by the stars (the Sun and other stars) - inventing and developing celestial navigation, with the development of instruments like the astrolabe and quadrant, also turned the Staff of Jacob in the Backstaff.

These precision instruments allowed, for the first time in human history, to determine an exact location through rigorous mathematical calculations. The accurate measurement of distances, the notes of the characteristics of the coast and other information were transmitted by sailors to mapmakers who drew maps increasingly stringent. The Portuguese made the worldwide improvement of instrumentation and mapping.

Combining innovative vessels and navigational instruments, along with the courage and boldness of the Portuguese navigators, served the purpose of giving new worlds known to the world.

The Age of Discovery is the passage from one world to another, from Europe to all the earth. Portugal was the pioneer of globalization.

It is the time when the traditional schemes are exceeded, it is recognized that it is necessary to pay attention to the observation, it is also the season where many myths fade. Scientific discoveries led to a radical change in the conception of the Earth and the Universe. The Portuguese Discoveries were the main causes and consequence of the Renaissance, given the increasing desire of man to know the world and proclaim his knowledge.

Men like Gil Eanes, the first to surpass the Cape Boyador, Bartolomeu Dias the Cape of Good Hope, Vasco da Gama the first who discovered the sea route to the Indies or Pedro Alvares Cabral who discovered the Americas, opening the way to Columbus, are the protagonists of the greatest maritime discoveries that required new scientific methods, based on direct observation and experimentation.

It is Portugal leading the advances of technology, building innovative vessels and perfect instruments that support the will of man to dominate the nature and the world.

Portugal is the most important country in the development of Europe, is of prime importance the contributions to the scientific development of mankind, especially in botany / medicine, astronomy, cartography, mathematics, geography and anthropology.

Over the centuries, as other Portuguese Serpa Pinto and Hermenegildo Capelo, Gago Coutinho continued the genuinely Portuguese innovation DNA, boldness and development.

Today, Portugal is one country that uses more and implements new tools and information technologies.

Portugal ranking in the first places in the world ranking of e-government, e-banking and accessibility to the digital world.

Portugal is a renowned manufacturer of software platforms, implemented worldwide, with special emphasis on Lusophone, a market with over 260 million people.

The Portuguese technology has been in the last 600 years, and will continue to be, one of the most important in the development of Europe and the world.