Portugal has the potential to become a “world leader in AI” and a “global centre for innovation,” Deputy Minister for State Reform Gonçalo Matias said on Monday at the opening of the Web Summit, promising a “favourable regulatory environment” to attract investment.
“The digital revolution offers a historic opportunity to create new industries, new jobs and new prosperity,” Matias told attendees at the tech conference that is set to draw 70,000 participants and 2,500 startups to Lisbon.
Highlighting the government’s ambitions in artificial intelligence, the minister pointed to Amália, Portugal’s new large language model, describing it as a step toward giving “every student an AI tutor who listens, guides and inspires learning.”
“Amália is more than a model, it’s a bridge between ideas and action, and a promise that technology, guided by our values, can transform society and create opportunities for all,” he said.
“Portugal is ready to be a centre of excellence in AI,” the minister insisted, calling it “competitive in costs” but “global in ambition”. He also declared that the country has “all the necessary conditions to become a world leader in AI.”
He added that Portugal is already positioning itself as one of Europe’s leading hubs for AI gigafactories, with expected investment exceeding €16 billion.
In order to make sure that the country’s population is ready for this digital blossoming, the minister said the goal is to train Portuguese citizens for the digital world. “That’s why we launched the digital skills pact, to train more than two million citizens by 2030 in basic and advanced digital skills,” he added.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Web Summit, the minister said that the “digital skills pact will be carried out in partnership with public and private organisations” and “even international organisations that are interested in helping Portugal”.
“The Web Summit is a great place to have these conversations, to talk to some of the world leaders in technology who can help us in this great endeavour to raise the digital skills and digital literacy of our population,” he said, adding that the government will start with the public sector. The document will be presented by the end of the year.
The minister also spoke about the national data centre strategy, revealing that it will be ready “between the end of the year and the beginning of next year”.
“I can tell you right now that we have enormous interest from major international investors, chip manufacturers and the world’s biggest technology companies in data centres,” he said.
The Web Summit, which has been held in Lisbon since 2016, runs until November 13 and will remain in Portugal at least until 2028.
