– Ganesh Pandey
Margrethe Vestager says she is very impressed with national ambitions in technology. This year, the fourth edition of Websummit will take place from November 4th to 7th at Parque das Nações
European Competition Commissioner and next vice-president of Digital Age Community Executive Margrethe Vestager said she was “very impressed” with the technology sector in Portugal and the Web Summit, whose last three editions took place in Lisbon.
“I am very impressed with both the Web Summit and the country’s ambitions,” she said in an interview with Lusa in Brussels, which will be published in full on Tuesday.
Despite admitting not to follow “in detail” the development of the technology sector in the country, Margrethe Vestager considered Portugal as a “good place to go”, namely to be a speaker at the Web Summit technology summit, which has been held since 2016 in Lisbon, joining ‘ startups’ (companies with growth potential), technology companies, investors and journalists from around the world.
“I must say it is rare for me to return to an event,” said the official, justifying her constant presence at Web Summit by “preparing” and learning about the latest technological developments and to “feel the atmosphere” of the industry. . “I’ve been to the Web Summit a number of times and always feel the atmosphere is changing,” he said.
Web Summit arrived in Lisbon in 2016 and brought 53,000 people from 166 countries, 15,000 companies, 7,000 CEOs, 700 top investors and 2,000 international journalists.
The following year, in 2017, these numbers rose to 60,000 participants from 170 countries, 1,200 speakers, 2,000 startups, 1,400 investors and 2,500 journalists.
By 2018, more than 70,000 participants from more than 170 countries were registered, around 2,600 journalists from around the world, and 2,000 startups from around the world were present.
This year, the fourth edition in Portugal, the event will take place between November 4th and 7th at Parque das Nações (Altice Arena and FIL) in Lisbon.
In all, the organization expects about 70,000 participants, 1,800 startups, 1,500 investors and more than 2,000 journalists.
More than 1,000 speakers have been confirmed, including Margrethe Vestager and Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
Initially, the summit was expected to be in Portugal for only three years, but in October last year it was announced that the event will continue to be held in Lisbon for another 10 years, that is, until 2028, with annual compensation of 11 million euros. euros and the expansion of FIL.
Danish policymaker Margrethe Vestager, who has been European Commissioner for Competition since 2014, is about to end her term in the next EU executive to add the Vice Presidency for the Digital Age to this portfolio.
