In his address, Manuel Castro Almeida began by narrating the story of a “young rebellious and entrepreneurial prince” named Afonso Henriques, who possessed talent, ambition, vision, and “a clear vision of the future.”
“He was 34 years old when he created the sovereign State of Portugal, our first king was also our first entrepreneur,” emphasized the official.
Eight centuries later, “here we are, today and always,” he added, recalling the “great maritime adventure” of the Discoveries.
“Portugal is a transforming country, it innovates, designs, builds, advances, and exports,” he continued, noting that the country may be small on land, but it is vast at sea.
The minister argued that the country is an ideal stage for investment and project creation.
“Portugal is a country where one can work with motivation, pleasure, and where talent is celebrated, effort valued, and merit recognized,” he stressed.
“This week at the Web Summit, Portugal’s significant position in artificial intelligence [AI] becomes even more evident with the announcement of massive investments,” he said, citing “just two examples: the 8.5 billion euros investment in Sines, initiated by Start Campus, and Microsoft’s recent announcement of a 10 billion euros investment” during the technology event.
Innovation in Portugal “is not a privilege of large cities,” noted the official, who urged entrepreneurs to invest and live in the country.
This year’s edition of the Web Summit, a technology summit that began in Lisbon in 2016, concludes today.
