Portugal, a “great place” to begin a startup

The President of Microsoft, Brad Smith, said on Wednesday, “Portugal is a great place to begin a startup” and added that it was remarkable how much the country had changed.

Speaking at Web Summit, Brad Smith said the ecosystem was right because of its talented people. “I remember when Microsoft began in Portugal and was I involved in the first set up days of Microsoft Portugal” he said when asked about his views on the country and his vision for Microsoft Portugal which has been in the local market for several years.
“The first thing I’d like to say is that it is remarkable how much Portugal has changed and how vibrant its technology sector has become” he said giving the example of Web Summit which ends today in Lisbon.
“Just see how Web Summit itself has settled in Portugal. Today, we (Microsoft) have 2,000 staff in Portugal and I remember when we only had two, so we have seen a thousand times growth in staff numbers,” he added.
“I think that Portugal has become a great place for a startup to begin its life”, he said, adding that Portugal had become a great place to hire talented staff, not just in Lisbon but in many cities and towns up and down the country.”
Brad Smith stressed that all countries are trying to discover how to exit the Covid-19 pandemic and adapt to the future. “How we are going to adapt to a range of different economic challenges and the ones we have here,” he remarked.
Moreover, “If we look long term, the most fundamental ingredient for any country is its talent and Portugal has become a hot house for homegrown talent and a welcoming place for talent from the rest of Europe”, he stressed.
“I think this is quite a magic combination for the future of Portugal” concluded the President of Microsoft, Brad Smith.