Helping young people to set up a company, a virtual cultural agenda, communication, support for online development and renewable energies are the focus of the six business ideas that were born within the scope of the 2nd Startup Albufeira Bootcamp, which were presented in a session that took place in Albufeira, on the 24th of November.
On “stage” were the projects Agnus Consulting, by Mafalda Cordeiro (assisting young entrepreneurs in the process of creating companies and businesses), Zimbora, by Sara Batista (app and website for cultural agenda), Malha, by João Silva (communication agency and brand management), Minds On Digital, by Lúcia Ventura (support for brands and small and medium businesses in online development), Bvolt Renováveis, by Nuno Aires (design and installation of air conditioners and refrigeration mechanisms) and Scott Pump Unit, by João Satfield (equipment powered by wind energy to mitigate the energy crisis).
The jury invited by the Câmara de Albufeira, which promoted the initiative in partnership with Território Criativos, was made up of Antónia Correia (UALg), Hélder Martins (Aheta), Maria Inês Galvão (businesswoman) and Vera Gomez (IAPMEI).
At the session, José Carlos Rolo, mayor of Albufeira, highlighted the importance «of entrepreneurship, above all, in the context of uncertainties that we are going through».
As for the participants, «after working very hard on their projects for more than a month and a half, it is expected that they will be able to achieve positive results and thrive in their business area», he wished.
Cristiano Cabrita, councilor responsible for Entrepreneurship, assured, for his part, that «in recent years, entrepreneurship has been considered a very important issue for the Municipality».
The mayor highlighted the success of the second edition of Bootcamp Startup Albufeira and expressed the desire to «make these projects come to life».
«Your path does not end today and here. This is the kick-off and our Entrepreneurship Office – AGE is always open to receive you and help with any questions or to set up meetings, in this case with me, so that we can make your projects see the daylight," he added.
Before the presentation of the projects, a conference entitled “The Role of Culture in Tourism” was held, with the participation of Adriana Nogueira, regional director of Culture of the Algarve, Hélder Martins, president of the Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve – AHETA and Anabela Santos, coordinator of Via Algarviana.
The regional director of Culture in the Algarve highlighted that «tourism is an important and complementary dimension of cultural activity».
Adriana Nogueira revealed that it is important for tourists to come and visit the monuments and cultural activities that take place in the Algarve and it is in this sense that the promotion of culture and cultural tourism must be understood, «we look at tourism as a way of bringing visitors to get to know and enjoy our heritage and cultural activities in the region».
Hélder Martins pointed to culture and sport as «extremely important tools» to mitigate the peak of seasonality and the desertification of the interior, highlighting the need to promote «the marriage between culture and tourism».
«We can only settle people in the interior if there is economic activity», he underlined, adding the need to adapt legislation to localities, specifically referring to small local producers and the difficulty they have in complying with all the rules necessary for the marketing of products. and issuing invoices.
Anabela Santos, for her part, stressed that «the interior has a very rich natural and heritage heritage, as well as an extraordinary climate, which constitutes a differentiating element and complements the tourist offer during the high season».
The Via Algarviana is a great pedestrian route, an attractive challenge for the entire Algarve interior, he said, underlining the «need to create attractive poles and diversified programs on the part of tour operators and municipalities», noting that the Via Algarviana itineraries always have an associated cultural and heritage component, «as an identity factor of the places it crosses».
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