Representatives of the association saw the conference as an opportunity to stimulate internationalization proposals from SC entrepreneurs in North America and Europe

Between May 1 and 4, representatives of the Associação Catarinense de Tecnologia (ACATE) traveled to Rio de Janeiro to follow the 13th edition of the Web Summit, with the aim of strengthening ties with partners for internationalization companies and also, to make known the ecosystem of Santa Catarina, through the Startup Summit, an event which will be held in August in partnership with SEBRAE/SC. In its first edition in a Latin American city, the Web Summit is the largest innovation conference in the world and promotes discussions on new technologies, with topics such as finance, business and entrepreneurship. The international character is one of the differentials of the event and, for the Vice President of Marketing of the Associação Catarinense, Walmoli Gerber Jr, the possibility of establishing relations with consulates in different parts of the world is the one of the highlights of the meeting.

“We are applying for ACATE positions in several countries and we already have space for Santa Catarina entrepreneurs to work in centers in Canada, the United States and Estonia. In Canada, we have secured space in one of the top 5 accelerators in the world. In other words, we will take companies from MIDITEC, one of the best incubators in the world, to one of the best accelerators in the world in Canada”, declares the vice-president. “There are a lot of global and multinational companies here. , which creates a favorable environment for this type of exchange, which is very important for companies in Santa Catarina,” he adds.

ACATE’s Vice President of Internationalization, Henrique Bilbao, who lives in Canada, came to Brazil specifically to accompany the Web Summit Rio and strengthen the entity’s partnerships with the aim of expanding the frontiers of technology companies in Santa Catarina. “Global connection is the missing link to enable a new leap towards the ecosystem of Santa Catarina. We are organizing two exchange missions with Canada: a delegation of companies associated with ACATE, which will leave at the end of June, from Santa Catarina to the North American country and in August, Canadian entrepreneurs will come to Brazil to participate in the Startup Summit.

Another participation objective, according to the vice president, is the publicity of the Startup Summit 2023, one of the largest events in the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Brazil, organized by ACATE and Sebrae. “We are preparing for the biggest Startup Summit in our history, so we took the opportunity both to publicize this meeting and to learn how it is possible to improve the experience of participants at a large event”, explains Walmoli.

For the Director of Innovation and New Business, Silvio Kotujansky, the massive presence of companies from Santa Catarina’s innovation ecosystem drew attention throughout the event. “Many people and companies in our ecosystem are here to exhibit and share their experiences, which fills us with pride,” he says. For the VP, other highlights include a focus on diversity and collaboration, as well as conferences that reflect topics such as artificial intelligence, ChatGPT and blockchain.

Highlights for the Innovative Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

Vice President of Relations Diego Ramos also highlighted artificial intelligence as one of the main topics of discussion during the Web Summit. “Being able to attend talks given by leaders of companies like Microsoft, who are at the forefront of this AI race, is a huge plus for those who attend. The president of the company in Brazil explained to how artificial intelligence is an opportunity for us to catch up with productivity in the country,” he shares.

However, for Diego, the main lesson of the event is how innovation ecosystems benefit from large tech meetings. “Initiatives such as the Web Summit help drive investment attraction, generating new business, especially for local businesses and startups that value themselves. Not to mention that the tourist sector of the host city is also greatly benefited. Everyone wins, ”he concludes.