Making the Algarve «a competitive region in the face of world demands», in the area of technologies, is the main objective of Algarve Evolution, an association that brings together nearly 40 companies in the region and which was officially presented this Thursday, 12 September , in Faro.
Like Sul Informação already advance, for this group of entrepreneurs, the Algarve may become a kind of “Silicon Valley”, but for that, despite the existence of «all the physical conditions, we still need to find the human conditions», as explained by Cláudio Martins, from Visualforma company, one of the 29 founding companies of Algarve Evolution.
«Everyone knows that we are in a territory of micro-micro companies, given the reality of the main companies in these areas. One of our goals is to gather the human conditions to face global challenges. Without dimension, we will be left out of the main training offers and we will not be able to attract senior staff. For that, we want to have dimension, we want the Algarve to have a position on the map as a technological destination», added Cláudio Martins.
If isolated technology companies in the Algarve are small, together they become stronger. «It is not a company with 100 employees that can respond, but, in this case, we are already talking about a group with 40 organizations that, all together, have already become a “company” of relevant size», he added.
Algarve Evolution represents the will of the private sector to place the Algarve on the world technology map, but there is also a public will, also embodied in an association, the Algarve STP, which brings together the University of Algarve and some municipalities in the region, namely Faro and Loulé.
These wills, private and public, together, are developing the Algarve Tech Hub, «a brand that started a long time ago, five or six years ago, when we started to bring together a number of people, stakeholders public and private. At that time, this desire to dynamize the region in the area of technologies began to arise», explained Miguel Fernandes, CEO of Dengun and president of Algarve Evolution.
To make the Algarve this “Silicon Valley” “in our way”, Miguel Fernandes argues that “we have to decide which paths to get there. We have to decide where we are going to specialize and invest in order to communicate abroad, so that we can attract a critical mass to make this happen».
This capture of critical mass from outside is essential, according to the president of Algarve Evolution, because «we are very few living here, and also being born, we are less and less. Therefore, we must bring people from Portuguese-speaking countries or the United States, who will add value».
Miguel Fernandes says that «I would like that, in ten years' time, we were extremely competitive in one or two areas of technology at an international level and that we could be “taco to taco” with any country in the world in specific areas. With that, we would be able to have “grey matter” to develop here products and services from our region and our country, for the world».
Attracting this “grey matter” may not be that difficult, not least because Miguel Fernandes believes that «we have the perfect region to attract those who work in technologies. The work can be done remotely and we have the best place for them to work here and build life. We're talking about 20-year-old kids who want to see the world, who spend a week here, another there. are the calls digital nomads [digital nomads]'.
“We can attract them and let them know the region by creating, in low season, events or workshops. The hotel industry can prepare packages and we can show them how it is possible to build life here. These will come and others will come. That's the "grey matter" we need to create disruptive things, start-ups, companies. Only with the diaspora, the remote workers [remote workers] and the digital nomads we would have conditions to create knowledge for a solid technological sector», he added.
Despite the efforts of Algarve Evolution and Algarve STP, Miguel Fernandes argues that there must also be support at central level. “Tourism has to participate in this. The Government has to promote the Algarve in this area and that is why the Algarve Tech Hub exists. It is a regional strategy, but it has to be publicized, it has to be part of a national strategy. When someone arrives at Lisbon Airport or from Faro there is none "farol” that indicates that there is technology in the Algarve and that they can come and talk to us. How many people pass through the Algarve, with companies worth billions, and don't know that there is something here?».
On the Penha campus of the University of Algarve, a building will be built designed to house technology companies, but Miguel Fernandes emphasizes that the Algarve Tech Hub is much more than that.
“This building serves to represent that “there is intelligent life on Mars”. It is a piece of the puzzle, which represents a will. It is a space that can host the digital nomads and those companies and workers who can work remotely. It can be a place that makes entrepreneurs and freelancers meet, exchange ideas and create. The building must be seen in this way and not as a brick. We will have this space, but there are others, extremely valid, such as in Portimão or Tavira. The Tech Hub has to be the Algarve and whoever comes here to work chooses Faro, Tavira or Portimão, according to your lifestyle and according to what you are looking for», he concluded.
Photos: Nuno Costa | Sul Informação
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