Tech consultancy BJSS invests €12 million in new Lisbon office

UK based technology and engineering consultancy BJSS has revealed it is expanding into Portugal. The launch of BJSS’ new office in Lisbon marks the company’s first international location outside of North America.

Founded in 1993, Leeds-based consultancy BJSS has an annual turnover of more than £140 million. The company delivers software solutions to a wide range of industries, including financial services, which saw it deliver a trade reporting system to the London Stock Exchange.

Recent years have seen BJSS invest heavily in expanding its operations, both inside and outside the UK. The firm boasts a staff count of more than 1,500 – almost doubling over the last two years – while it has opened presences across the UK, including a Glasgow locale, and its first international hub in the US, in New York. Now, the firm has followed this up with its second step to globalise, with an expansion into mainland Europe.

Based in Lisbon, BJSS’ new team is set to grow rapidly to support the company’s existing international and regional Iberian clients. The initial focus for the Portuguese operation is recruiting up to 150 first-class IT consultants to support BJSS’ technology, engineering, consulting, cloud, data and AI services – including dedicated strategic and account management leadership, with a focus on regional delivery. The operation will be led by Pedro Ferreira, a Portuguese national and three-year veteran of BJSS.

Stuart Bullock, Managing Director, BJSS, commented, “International expansion continues to be a key growth strategy for BJSS and we believe that the potential to unlock further opportunity in the European market is huge. The decision to expand to Lisbon as our first European base was a logical step in this strategy. It means that we can establish even closer ties with our European clients, while strengthening our service capabilities in the fast-growing Iberian markets. We’re truly thrilled to be here.”  

BJSS’ initial investment in its new wing will exceed €12 million within 18 months, creating near to 150 jobs in Portugal’s tech market. BJSS’ new team is set to grow rapidly to support international and regional Iberian clients. This represents welcome news to the nation’s government, which has been campaigning to attract companies that generate highly skilled employment. BJSS’ arrival represents an opportunity for a growing group of IT talent to realise its potential in Portugal.

André de Aragão Azevedo, Secretary of State for the Digital Transition, said, “It was with great satisfaction that we welcomed BJSS’ decision to choose Portugal for its first office in continental Europe. Investment into the country remains resilient during the pandemic, so BJSS’ expansion will further strengthen our reputation as a European centre for innovation and support the path from a start-up nation to a digital nation. Portugal isn’t just the leader in innovation among Southern Europe countries according to the European Commission, it is now part of the strong innovators group.”