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Portugal, a country where tradition and innovation go hand in hand

Portugal builds airplanes. Yes, planes. And automobiles as well. Portugal builds construction works which leave a mark. Bridges, highways, ports airports, sports stadiums, schools, hospitals and palaces. The Portuguese ability to build masterpieces is present worldwide. Surprised?

Our history is made of discoveries, entrepreneurship, creativity and permanent innovation. We are a modern and sophisticated country that will surprise you. Our country develops medicine: Zebinix in the treatment of epilepsy, Opicapone in the treatment of the Parkinson disease. Two medicines developed in Portugal and new medicines of Portuguese origin are about to improve your well-being. Portugal has research and development centres where scientific discoveries are born and revolutionize everyday life. Unique people devote the best of their skills to this cause and receive awards for it.

We build aircraft: In Portugal we develop interiors for eco-sustainable aircraft and engineering systems. We build air-structures for Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Pilatus and Dassault planes. Cars, buses and component parts come out of Portuguese factories every day bringing life to great world brands and help transport people.

We build and transform large ships and bring life to luxury sailboats. From the sea we obtain fish that make our gastronomy unique, seaweed for luxury cosmetics and new forms of energy. We are pioneers in the transformation of water, wind and sun into energy and in the creation of technologies that ensure today a better tomorrow. Solar panels and wind towers made in Portugal make our planet greener. Our ports own competitive advantages which make them a required transit point. We discover new ways to create value in the Sea Economy.

Portugal is a fashionable country. Large brand names entrust their creations to us. Celebrities wear Portuguese fashion. Champions entrust their success to Portuguese technical textiles. We go beyond the cork stopper. We are leaders in the production of cork and innovative in its application in aircraft, fashion, surf boards, kayaks, safety helmets and civil construction works. We produce tools which accurately mold plastic, metal, wood and composite materials, creating complex forms that bring life to products of major brands. We produce furniture parts, textiles, home appliances and lighting, that make your home unique and your commercial spaces exclusive. We innovate in everything we do, from the cutting-edge to the traditional sectors.Our olive oil has flavors and aromas. We even make olive oil with golden leaves! As valuable as the gold that awards our wines year after year. “Vinho do Porto” is just the most recognized but our wines are worldwide appreciated.

Portuguese technology is present in financial services, healthcare, transport, education, security and defense, facilitating your daily life and opening the doors to the future. We have an entrepreneurial ecosystem which attracts talents from all over the world. Excellent incubators, experienced mentors and the adventurous spirit of the entrepreneurs are accelerating the birth of companies that revolutionize your life. Yes, Portugal is becoming a startup nation, a tech hub, and the crowning of its growing importance for the innovation sector is the arrival of the Web Summit to Lisbon. Remember, Lisbon was competing with big cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona or Berlin. The Web Summit is considered by many the biggest tech event in the World. The conference attracted in 2015 more than 42.000 people, coming from 142 countries, and we are expecting the participation of representatives from some of the biggest corporations worldwide such as Nike, Google, Coca-Cola, Disney, among others. The key factor of Web Summit is that, in fact, it is not one but twenty-one conferences not only about Tech but covering topics ranging from Marketing, Code, Machine Learning, Fashion, and many others. The Web Summit is also the stage for fashion, music and sports superstars that are picked for the involvement in the world of startups and innovation or for their relevance for the industry.

In its first edition in Portugal, over 50.000 participants are expected, mainly top executives (around 15.000 companies will be represented) and investors of which over 5.000 are CEOs. Currently, already 154 countries will have representatives.

The estimates point to a direct impact in the Portuguese Economy of more than 175 million euros. So, now is the right time to come and visit Portugal, a modern, sophisticated and future-oriented country that combines tradition and innovation in a surprising way. A welcoming country, filled with sunshine, breathtaking landscapes and a unique gastronomy. Portugal is an open and multicultural country, able to gather the best of its experience and knowledge to originate solutions that push forward global businesses. Portugal, a country that will surprise you.

Compliments of Portuguese Trade and Investment Agency – a member of the EACCNY