Porto hosts ‘the world’s largest entrepreneurship academy’ until 2026
The European Innovation Academy holds the next five editions in Portugal, attracting hundreds of students, technology experts and entrepreneurs from Google, Amazon, Microsoft or Facebook.
European Innovation Academy (EIA) has chosen the city of Porto to host the next five editions of what is considered the largest technological and digital entrepreneurship programme in the world, which brings together more than 500 students from 120 universities and a hundred mentors and speakers from around the world, in an intensive training initiative dedicated to the themes of innovation and technology.
The pro-rector of the University of Porto (U.Porto), which presented the application in partnership with the City Council (through the municipal initiative ScaleUp Porto), told ECO that the first edition on national soil will take place between 17 July and 5 August 2022 at the Faculties of Economics (FEP) and Engineering (FEUP). For three weeks, participants will experience all the stages of the creation and launch of entrepreneurial projects, with the support of international experts.
Besides this programme scheduled for the summer break, Joana Resende reports that, throughout the year, several pop-up sessions dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship will also be organised, which “aim to increase the impact of this academy in the city, providing opportunities to make the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the University and the city even more vibrant, and increase its visibility and international projection”.
“Porto is increasingly positioning itself as an attractive destination for academics, researchers and entrepreneurs. It is in this innovation ecosystem and in this positioning that the choice of Invicta to host this initiative fits. It is therefore strategic to promote and make the city known as a destination for innovation to young entrepreneurs from some of the most prestigious universities in the world,” summarises the spokesperson for strategic planning.
This Friday, at 10 am, at the Rectory building in Praça Gomes Teixeira (Praça dos Leões), the signing of partnership protocols is scheduled, valid until 2026, between the organising body EIA – created in 2013 in the United States of America – and the University of Porto, the municipality led by Rui Moreira, Santander Universities Bank and the consultancy firm Beta-i.
