Portugal Tech Week

Portugal Tech Week is a national, multi-stakeholder platform designed to strengthen digital skills, innovation capacity and ecosystem connectivity across Portugal. It brings together professionals, SMEs, startups, universities, public institutions, investors and community organisations to deliver a coordinated programme of workshops, mentoring sessions, expert talks and hands-on learning experiences. Rather than operating as a single event, it functions as a distributed ecosystem initiative, aligned around a shared objective of improving access to practical, labour-market relevant digital upskilling.

The initiative was created to address structural gaps in access to applied digital skills and innovation learning opportunities. Despite strong entrepreneurial and technological potential, many professionals and SMEs face barriers in adopting digital tools and methods, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, data use, digital transformation and innovation management. The initiative responds by building an open and collaborative learning environment where participants can develop actionable skills while connecting directly with employers, founders and ecosystem actors.

About this Initiative

The programme is delivered through a decentralised model combining a central hub with city-wide and partner-led activities. It is especially active during Web Summit week, when it concentrates visibility and participation while extending activities across multiple cities and communities. This structure enables both national coordination and local adaptation.

In its 2025 edition, Portugal Tech Week delivered over 300 events across 20 cities. The programme included more than 61 partner-led sessions and approximately 315 hours of activities, including 35 hours of live streaming. Central activities such as PTW Palace by Make, the Elétrico Pitch programme and the Tech Run attracted significant participation, with over 2,000 attendees at the main venue and 900 participants in the Tech Run. The Elétrico Pitch programme received 90 startup applications, with 12 selected, and engaged participants from 20 countries.

Why is this a good practice?

The initiative is considered a good practice due to its scalable ecosystem model, which integrates multiple stakeholders into a coordinated national framework while preserving local flexibility. It combines practical skills development with real-world networking and labour-market alignment, improving employability and organisational digital readiness simultaneously. Its decentralised structure enables replication across regions, including both metropolitan and peripheral areas, ensuring broader territorial inclusion.

Portugal Tech Week also demonstrates measurable impact in ecosystem activation and digital upskilling. Its scale of activities, high participation rates, and strong engagement metrics indicate its effectiveness as a platform for connecting talent, organisations and knowledge providers. The initiative’s sustainability is reinforced by its partner-driven governance model, which distributes delivery across sponsors, community partners, curators and ambassadors, enabling continuous growth and adaptation over successive editions.