Over the last few years I have been following with particular attention a trend that seems to me to be increasingly evident in Portugal. For a long time we got used to hearing that our greatest asset was talent. Portuguese engineers, researchers, programmers, managers and entrepreneurs were often recruited by international companies or looking for opportunities outside the country to develop their potential.
Fortunately, something is starting to change.
Portugal continues to export talent, but it is also starting to create innovative projects capable of competing in highly technological and demanding sectors. And perhaps this is the true evolution of our economy. Not only to train qualified people, but to create companies that transform knowledge into products, services and businesses with international potential.
I recently wrote about the development of solutions related to electric mobility and the future of sustainable aviation. This week another initiative caught my attention that, despite having gone relatively unnoticed, deserves to be highlighted. I´m talking about TAPSi, a TVDE platform created by doctoral students at the University of Coimbra, which was born with a differentiating feature: it operates exclusively with electric vehicles.
At first glance, it may seem like just another mobility app. But looking closer, it represents something much more interesting.
While many of the major international platforms continue to manage gradual transition processes to electric fleets, this Portuguese startup has made a different decision. As it was born now, it decided to start at the point where many others intend to reach in several years. Instead of adapting an old model to a new reality, it built a new model from day one.
This way of thinking is particularly relevant because it shows a characteristic that we often associate with the most innovative startups in the world. The ability to look at a problem without being conditioned by the past.
But what impresses me most is not just the bet on electrification. It is the fact that this initiative arises in Coimbra, within an academic environment, created by researchers who decided to transform knowledge into economic activity.
For many years we have discussed the need to bring universities and companies closer together. We talked about the importance of transforming research into applied innovation. We talked about the need to create ecosystems where the knowledge produced within academic institutions could reach the market.
When we see projects like this, we realize that this transformation is actually happening.
At the same time, this initiative fits into a broader trend that Portugal can take advantage of in the coming years. The country has been consolidating a relevant position in the areas of renewable energy, sustainable mobility, artificial intelligence, data centers and technology. These are sectors that share a common characteristic: they seek efficiency, sustainability and innovation.
It is precisely at this intersection that the greatest opportunities arise.
TAPSi will certainly not be the last Portuguese company to be born with this logic. On the contrary. Everything indicates that we will see more and more projects developed locally, with national technology, prepared to respond to global challenges.
Most importantly, these types of initiatives help to change the narrative about Portugal. For too long we have been seen as a country capable of producing talent for others. Today we begin to demonstrate that we can also create companies, develop technology and build competitive solutions from our own knowledge.
Of course, not all startups will succeed. It is part of the reality of entrepreneurship. But what really matters is the ability to keep creating, experimenting and innovating.
Because when Portuguese researchers create technological platforms, when universities generate companies and when international investors decide to bet on these projects, we are facing something more important than a simple round of investment.
We are witnessing the construction of an economy based on knowledge, innovation and added value.
And this is perhaps one of the best news for the future of Portugal.

NEWS, Economy, Technology