CIP – Confederação Empresarial de Portugal highlighted the role of the businessman and former associate leader Ludgero Marques, who died today, at 88 years old, in defense of corporate autonomy and in the qualification of his national and international representation.
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31/08/2026
by
Lusa
Ludgero Marques
ANDm communicated, the confederation recalls Ludgero Marques as a “great defender of business autonomy and the qualification of his national and international representation”, also highlighting his role in Exponor and Europarque.
“ Under the leadership of Ludgero Marques, the Associação Empresarial de Portugal (AEP), to which he presided for 23 years, conceived and built in the 1980s of the last century Exponor, in Matosinhos, at the time the largest exhibition and congress hall in the country ", says CIP, in a note of regret and condolences.
CIP also stresses that in the 1990s, AEP “also led the construction of the Europarque in Santa Maria da Feira, providing Portugal – and in particular the North Region – with a wide space capable of receiving large congresses, days, seminars, conferences, meetings, fairs and workshops.”.
“ Convinced regionalist, Ludgero Marques defended throughout his public intervention the irreplaceable role of companies in promoting the development of the country and its social responsibility ", adds.
The confederation underlines that Ludgero Marques has become “one of the greatest figures in the history of industrial association in Portugal” and states that it was a “example of a life dedicated to companies, industry and the defense of the interests of entrepreneurs”.
Born in Santa Maria da Feira, where he was born on March 26, 1938, Ângelo Ludgero da Silva Marques graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Porto and chaired several companies, among which stood out the manufacturer of taps and ceramics Cifial, which he would leave in 2013.
He was also president of the Association of Metalworkers and Metalomechanics of the North and founder and president of the Portuguese Association of Ferrage Industries, among other positions.
From 1975 to 1980 and between 1990 and 2000 he was Vice-President of CIP and Chairman of the General Assembly Bureau.
Among the awards he received are that of Commendador of the Civil Order of the Agricultural and Industrial Merit of Portugal – Class of Industrial Merit (August 21, 1990), Commendador of the Order of Orange-Nassau of the Netherlands (25 March 1992), Grand Cross of the Civil Order of the Agricultural, Industrial and Commercial Merit of Portugal – Class of Industrial Merit (9 June 1995) and Grand Officer of the Order of the Infant D. Henrique of Portugal (April 29, 1999).
According to information from Servilusa – Funeral Agencies, the funeral will take place from 11:00 on Tuesday in the Mother Church of Rio Meão, Santa Maria da Feira, and the religious celebration will begin at 19:00 on the same day, after which the funeral will proceed to the crematorium of Aveiro.