In 2024, Securitas Portugal, a participant in this year’s Web Summit to announce its latest cooperation agreement with the Portuguese tech ‘spin-off’ Procimo, recorded revenues of 136 million euros.
“This year we will surpass 140 million, approaching 145 million,” says Frederico Paiva, emphasizing that half of its activity in the Portuguese market involves technology.
Securitas Portugal has been “increasing the share of business in the technology sector,” which “either complements this activity or solely involves a purely technological component, without human intervention,” he explains.
“This already accounts for more than 50% of our business and three-quarters (75%) of our results in Portugal,” the CEO notes.
All components of risk assessment and analysis “have a proprietary system and platform; we insist greatly on training all our teams in this approach, both the teams that have initial contact with the client and those that design the technology solution to be implemented at that client,” he explains about the technological area.
Subsequently, based on the risk analysis and definition tool, a security solution for the client is developed, which might not be the same solution for different locations, he adds.
“We have artificial intelligence [AI] and IoT [Internet of Things, where devices are connected],” technology that allows screening, analysis, and triage.
When an incident occurs, “we have teams across the country; we are the company with the largest contingent of vehicles and teams in the field, enabling us to respond fastest to incidents,” declares the CEO.
The company is investing in various areas and also benefits from group investments: “Portugal is serving in the Ibero-American region, so we are talking about an investment exceeding 50 million euros,” he reveals.
Locally, “we make investments in improving our control systems, the security center,” or in information technology (IT), so “next year we will invest around three to four million euros,” solely in this area.
“We were the first company in Portugal, and perhaps still the only one, to have a sustainability report in the private security sector, which we are very proud of,” arising from the group’s matrix; “we are a Nordic, Swedish company,” where environmental and quality values are “intrinsic,” he stated.
Securitas Portugal is essentially a business-focused (B2B) or corporate-oriented company.
“We have lesser presence in the residential segment,” he admits.
Furthermore, the business side is “clearly more private than public,” because the latter “has been taking a very limited path regarding the solutions being procured,” says Frederico Paiva.
The executive explains that the public procurement system “does not include the technological dimension,” which he considers a “major limitation and a shame.” This is because technological advancement allows enhancing security solutions, he argues.
“Human capability does not disappear, but it should often, or in most cases, work in conjunction with technology, which is sometimes not feasible in public contracting,” he explains.
Expressing “great pride” in its professionals and security staff, the CEO highlights that Securitas Portugal employs about 3,500 security guards, with 1,000 professionals in aviation alone.
Technology “certainly does not overshadow or alter the value of these professionals; rather, it provides them with other tools,” he asserts.
