Government and listed companies “represent” Portugal in Davos
Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento will be joined by executives from companies such as Sonae, EDP and Galp. The World Economic Forum begins on Monday under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue.”
Donald Trump is expected to be one of the central figures at the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which takes place in Davos, Switzerland, from January 19 to 23. His political style contrasts sharply with this year’s chosen theme, “A Spirit of Dialogue.” As usual, Portugal will be represented by members of the Government, leaders of major listed companies and some Portuguese figures active in international organisations.
The Ministry of Finance has confirmed the presence of Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento at the Swiss resort. His agenda will be particularly demanding, as the start of the Davos meeting coincides with meetings of the Eurogroup and Ecofin. One of the most important meetings scheduled for Monday may result in the appointment of the next Vice-President of the European Central Bank, a position for which the Portuguese Government supports the candidacy of Mário Centeno.
There is also the possibility that João Rui Ferreira, Secretary of State for the Economy, will attend the event, although his presence had not yet been fully confirmed at the time the article was written.
Portugal’s presence in Davos will not be limited to political representatives. Several of the country’s largest listed companies will also be represented at the forum, reflecting the importance of energy, retail and technology in the global discussions taking place there.
EDP will be represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, and by executive board member Pedro Vasconcelos. According to the company, the goal of its participation is to contribute to a global dialogue focused on practical solutions that strengthen resilience, competitiveness and inclusive growth, in line with the World Economic Forum’s theme. EDP executives are scheduled to take part in sessions addressing the role of energy in security, electrification as a pillar of the energy transition, infrastructure resilience, innovation, the acceleration of artificial intelligence, and the contribution of renewable energy to competitiveness and global reindustrialisation.
Galp will also be present with both of its co-chief executive officers, Maria João Carioca and João Marques da Silva. The company stresses that energy is a global industry and that discussions in Davos around disruptions in the global energy system, technological progress and the impacts of decarbonisation are increasingly relevant.
In the retail sector, Sonae will be represented by its CEO, Cláudia Azevedo. In addition to participating in several debates, she has been invited to write an opinion article for the World Economic Forum’s website on the subject of female leadership. Jerónimo Martins will be represented by Luís Araújo, executive board member of the group and CEO of Biedronka, its Polish subsidiary.
One of the youngest Portuguese participants at the forum will be Maria Loureiro, a 26-year-old bioengineer working in the field of artificial intelligence applied to healthcare. She was selected as one of only 40 young leaders worldwide to take part through the Global Shapers Community, a World Economic Forum initiative that brings together young people engaged in addressing global challenges. Loureiro says her aim is to help ensure that technological and healthcare innovations benefit society as a whole, rather than only a small, privileged group.
Other Portuguese participants include Ricardo Baptista Leite, CEO of HealthAI – the Global Agency for Artificial Intelligence in Health, who will take part in panels focused on artificial intelligence, global health and geopolitics. Miguel Teixeira, from NTT Data, responsible for Iberia, international organisations, Latin America and the France/Benelux consulting practice, will attend for the second consecutive year, with a particular focus on technology-related sessions and the expected impacts of artificial intelligence. Luís Leite Rio, head of the Euronews HUB, a World Economic Forum partner, will also be present in Davos.
The 56th edition of the World Economic Forum is expected to bring together more than 3,000 participants from over 130 countries, including more than 60 heads of state and government, reinforcing Davos’s role as one of the most influential global platforms for dialogue on economic, political and technological issues.