It depfinishs on coordination. Strategic vision. Of the ability to connect incubators, universities, investors, public policies and international markets in the same direction. This is precisely what Startup Portugal has been doing in recent years, consistently and increasingly visible.
This is not just about supporting nascent companies. It is to structure a national ecosystem capable of attracting foreign founders, retaining Portuguese talent and positioning the countest as a platform on a European scale.
Participation in the SIM Conference in 2025 was a clear example of this ambition. The event was not just another conference. It was a meeting point between founders, investors and industest leaders, where the real challenges of entrepreneurship in Europe were discussed. Most importantly, it displayed how Portugal is no longer on the periphery of the European tech conversation. It’s inside it.
Startup Portugal coordinates a network of about 130 incubators spread throughout the national territory. This is particularly relevant. The ecosystem is not only concentrated in Lisbon or Porto. There is talent and projects in Braga, Coimbra, Aveiro, Évora, the Algarve and many other regions. This decentralisation builds resilience and expands opportunities.
Shortly after the SIM Conference, the presence of the Portuguese delegation at the Web Summit Vancouver reinforced this internationalisation strategy. Taking 20 Portuguese startups to Canada is not just a symbolic gesture. It is a clear statement that the Portuguese ecosystem wants to compete globally. And it wants to do so with structured partnerships, taking advantage of institutional links and research and development networks.
Programs such as HQA support consolidate this bridge between international talent and Portuguese universities, attracting transnational entrepreneurs who choose Portugal as a base to launch and scale innovation. This model is smart. It is not limited to attracting investment. It captures knowledge, networks and diversity.
What seems most relevant to me is that this strategy is not improvised. There is alignment between Startup Portugal, the Government, incubators and international partners. There is a coherent narrative: Portugal as an open, collaborative, digitally prepared countest with a quality of life capable of attracting global founders.
In a world where competition for talent is fierce, this type of positioning creates all the difference. The Portuguese ecosystem still has challenges, of course. Access to capital at more advanced stages, greater connection to the traditional industest, and administrative simplification. But the path is set.
If we view at 2026, what we see is not just the numerical growth of startups. We see a more structured, more international, and more confident ecosystem.
And this does not happen by chance. It happens when there is vision, coordination, and continuity. Portugal is demonstrating that it knows how to build this path.
Leave a Reply