More countries eye Web Summit after Lisbon deal ends

Countries other than Poland are showing interest in taking Web Summit away from Lisbon after 2028, when the current contract expires, Startup Portugal chief executive Miguel Aguiar said in an interview with ECO. The technology conference is one of the country’s highest-profile startup events and a key showcase for its entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Aguiar said Startup Portugal has been providing information to the government to support a decision on whether to try to keep the event in Lisbon. He said he had heard that “the Poles are trying to come in strongly” and that, based on his conversations with Web Summit, “there are other cities also available” and “other countries with potential interest.” He did not name them and said those details should be asked directly to Web Summit.

At the same time, Aguiar described Startup Portugal’s relationship with Web Summit as close and constructive. He said the organisation is working with Web Summit “with great proximity” and called it “a precious help,” adding that there is a relationship of trust between the two sides.

In the same interview, Aguiar said Startup Portugal is also working with Compete to try to launch a new round of startup vouchers funded by Portugal 2030 after the end of the Recovery and Resilience Plan. He said the new support would likely be smaller than previous vouchers and aimed at seed-stage companies, with a goal of helping create more startups while also pushing for more scale-ups in Portugal.

Originally published at Eco.pt