• The Lisbon School of Economics and Management and the European Investment Bank, under the high patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Portugal, are welcoming academics and other experts to a conference in Lisbon next week
  • The ‘Innovation for a sustainable and resilient future conference’, will feature globally renown speakers including Bertrand Piccard
  • Following President Werner Hoyer from the European Investment Bank’s opening speech, the conference will explore new technologies to drive innovation and sustainability
  • The conference will be closed by H.E. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Portuguese Republic.

An EIB conference on “Innovation for a Sustainable and resilient future”, in cooperation with ISEG, under the high patronage of His Excellency the President of the Portuguese Republic, will take place in Lisbon on 23rd September. The conference speakers will identify ways of funding new tech development which will lead to disruptive innovation and power Europe in the global tech race.

This will be the first ever joint high-level conference in Portugal organised jointly by these three institutions. Portugal has made important steps in this area particularly to foster innovative renewable energy, sustainable mobility, urban renewal and energy efficiency, protect the ocean and promote a sustainable blue economy, and create an innovation ecosystem that has already generated some of the most prominent unicorns in Europe. 

EIB Vice President responsible for Portugal, Ricardo Mourinho Félix said: “New technologies and disruptive innovation are the product of collaborative thinking. I am pleased to organise this conference with ISEG, under the high patronage of His Excellency the President of the Portuguese Republic, bringing together key tech experts in Lisbon next week, to debate the role of new funding for the technologies of the future. Deploying targeted capital for the green transition and developing an efficient EU innovation ecosystem is key for the Portugal and Europe to play a leading role in the global tech race.”

Clara Raposo, the Dean of ISEG said: “Innovation is key to find solutions for the current serious concerns regarding the limits of our planet and of access to essential resources under a geopolitical crisis. A leading role by Europe and its vision is the best possible news for the younger generations, but this can only materialize if innovative technological solutions are developed sooner than later”.

The international conference will include a panel titled: “Financing disruptive innovation for green transition” and a fireside chat focusing on the “EU innovation ecosystem and public policy banks”.

During the panel, speakers will identify elements of the technologies that are necessary to implement the green transition which have not yet been developed yet or are in the early stages of their development phases, in order to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and just economy.

Given the huge investments required, the public sector plays a key role in facilitating twin digital and green transitions by tackling market failures and supporting innovative investors. The fireside chat will address how public policy banks can leverage private sector investments, from venture capital to senior debt, tailored to support projects at different stages of their technology development or market deployment.

More event details are available here: