The ENRICH in LAC European Entrepreneur Expedition...
…held from the 4th to the 6th of December 2023, was a comprehensive knowledge exchange in the historic Portuguese cities of Porto and Coimbra, and presented itself as a remarkable opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), entrepreneurs, and applied research organisations from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to explore the dynamic Portuguese Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) landscape.
Seven entrepreneurs came from Brazil and Colombia and engaged in some visits to business hubs, incubators, and research & technology centres and event participation.
The curated group of entrepreneurs by ENRICH in LAC spanned various sectors such as IT, transportation and logistics, investment, industry, and waste management.
The European Entrepreneur Expedition had the following agenda:
Following up, the entrepreneurs were introduced to their hosts (SPI) facilities during their visit to Porto, which is one of the ENRICH in LAC consortium partners. SPI is a consultancy company that stems from the need for interaction between the private and public sector, as well as with research institutes and universities.
A small and quick presentation on SPI, ENRICH in LAC and its history as well as a roundtable to foster engagement between the participants were done.
Top cap the first day of the Expedition, the final visit was at CEiiA, were their state-of-the-art facilities as well as their cooperation with players worldwide within the aviation, agroforestry, defence, space, and automobile industries were on display. CEiiA’s impeccable track record, global reputation, and pivotal engineering contributions to product development were showcased, captivating the attention of entrepreneurs with enticing possibilities for collaborative and creative solutions.
Moreover, some of the spin-offs born out of the centre captivated the attention of the entrepreneurs based on the innovative approach and design of some products developed at CEiiA.
On the 5th of December 2023, the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest higher education institutions in Europe, a place of heritage, tradition, but also of continuous novelty and innovation organised the event “Inovação@UC 2023”, held at Convento de São Francisco in Coimbra. The full-day event showcased the extensive portfolio of ideas, projects, graduated companies & spin offs, as well as ongoing projects led, coordinated, or in which the University of Coimbra contributes to. Most of the abovementioned projects had participation, leadership or originated from ideas of the university’s alumni. Finally, to understand the importance of the event, the Portuguese Minister of Science and Technology and Higher Education, Engª Elvira Fortunato, closed the session with a speech.
The entrepreneurs were able to connect with the innovation hub of Coimbra, and network with fellow attendees and speakers at the event.
On the final day, the entourage visited IRIS. The incubator for social innovation formerly located in Amarante, is associated with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the fostering of social impact, innovation and development projects. The visit was quite productive as it provided the means for potential transatlantic cooperation between Latin America and Europe in the scope of educational goals of a ongoing project at IRIS.
The last stop of the entourage was at UPTEC. The entrepreneurs quickly got acquainted with the inner workings of UPTEC, its spectrum of companies hosted at the centre, which have access to a multitude of services, such as consulting, business development, and soft landing. All these services are part of the graduation programmes set up for start-ups, which usually come in still in a seedling stage and take the opportunity to grow and prosper through the ecosystem generated in and around UPTEC. The Start-ups’ thematic areas range from marine tech, climate tech, waste management and IT. Its connection to the University of Porto, compounded with its financially sustainable model, provides a platform to gather the unique entrepreneurial talent not only of the University but of this industrial region of the country.
ENRICH in LAC and its partners send their heartfelt thanks to the entrepreneurs, and representatives of the visited institutions. A special remark for another ENRICHing experience and a proof of great service.