OVIA took part on 28 November in the official launch of Start CPLP, an initiative of the CPLP Business Confederation (CE-CPLP) designed to boost youth entrepreneurship, drive innovation and foster economic cooperation across the vast Atlantic space of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries.
The event, held at the CPLP Headquarters Auditorium in Lisbon, brought together institutional representatives, business leaders and key organisations from the nine Member States, underscoring the growing role of the CPLP as a multilateral economic platform.
OVIA was represented by its Secretary-General, Tiago Sousa Dias, who attended this high-level inaugural moment, aimed at bringing together talent and innovation ecosystems spread across four continents.
The session featured an address by the President of CE-CPLP, Nelma Fernandes, who stressed the ambition of building a future in which young people of the CPLP do not have to choose between having talent and having opportunities, advocating for an ecosystem that celebrates entrepreneurship and positions the Lusophone community as a global reference in innovation and collaboration.
This was followed by the presentation of the programme by the Vice-President of CE-CPLP’s Executive Committee, Higor Ferro Esteves, who outlined the structure of Start CPLP, organised into three phases and eight levels designed to support young entrepreneurs from training and ideation to business consolidation and the creation of impact-driven ventures.
The event also included a panel dedicated to the role of incubators and accelerators as engines of economic growth, with contributions from experts across multiple CPLP countries, reinforcing the importance of a collaborative network capable of stimulating innovation and driving entrepreneurial development throughout the Lusophone space.
OVIA’s presence at this event further strengthens the agency’s commitment to international cooperation and to reinforcing institutional relations within the CPLP, positioning Oeiras Valley as a territory of talent, science, technology and entrepreneurship.
