Turismo de Portugal opens Technology-Based Incubation Center for Tourism

Today, Turismo de Portugal opened the largest Technology-Based Incubation Center (CIBT) on the Estoril School of Hotel and Tourism Campus, which integrates the areas of training, entrepreneurship, innovation and research for Tourism.

The event, chaired by the Minister of Economy, Pedro Reis, was attended by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Pedro Machado, the President of Tourism of Portugal, Carlos Abade, and the President of Cascais City Council, Carlos Carreiras.

With three fully equipped floors, CIBT, which will be co-managed by NEST – Tourism Innovation Center, has offices, coworking spaces, technological rooms, pop-up, equipment and research laboratories, all to support the creation and training of new companies and new business models for the tourism sector.

In addition to leveraging all the knowledge, research and innovation produced in the Estoril Campus ecosystem, CIBT will have the ability to interconnect it with the existing network in the region through strategic partnerships in the areas of teaching, research and innovation, with NEST as one of the most important promoters of the space.

CIBT’s target audience is an entire community of entrepreneurs, with a special focus on young national recent graduates (annually, around 2500 students attend the two schools on the Campus) and international ones, working to develop and retain talent, encouraging an entrepreneurial culture, training them as future entrepreneurs and subsequently facilitating their integration into the market.

At the inauguration of the Technology-Based Incubation Center, Carlos Abade, President of Turismo de Portugal, highlighted that “accelerating and transforming tourism, through investment in technology and innovation, is a priority for Turismo de Portugal. The inauguration of CIBT reflects this continued commitment to tourism and this commitment to the future, affirming the Institute as a unique organization at an international level. Portugal thus stands out for its innovation, technology, inclusion, diversity and sustainability. This is the tourism of the future that the sector is building”.

The Technology-Based Incubation Center represents an investment of 3.4 million euros, financed by PO Lisboa at 1.17 million, and presents itself as a relevant instrument in the construction of what is the future of tourism in Portugal and in strengthening of its competitiveness. Turismo de Portugal is one of the eight founding members of NEST. The rest are ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, Brisa Via Verde, Google, Microsoft, Millennium BCP, NOS and BPI.

aNOTÍCIA.pt