ISMT was present at the Business Mission Moove - Coimbra 2024

2024-11-21

The Business Moove Business Mission, co-organised by the Brazil-Portugal Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Santa Catarina, the Coimbra Region Intermunicipal Community (CIM) and Coimbra City Council, is taking place this week, bringing together more than 30 Brazilian businesspeople. The event aims to highlight business opportunities and promote commercial partnerships between Portugal and Brazil.

On the first day of the mission, which took place at the Convento São Francisco in Coimbra, the entrepreneurs took part in networking sessions, explored the regional market and identified new business opportunities. At the opening session, the president of the CIM Região de Coimbra, Emílio Torrão, emphasised the region's commitment to economic and social development, saying that ‘this business mission represents a milestone in strengthening commercial, cultural and social ties between two countries that share deep roots and a promising future’.

One of the highlights of the mission was the participation of the Chairman of the Board of the Miguel Torga Higher Institute (ISMT), Dr Manuel Castelo Branco, who took part in the ‘Presentation of Success Stories’ panel held on 19 November at 2pm in the São Francisco Convent.

As part of this panel, the head of ISMT shared the institution's trajectory, with particular emphasis on its internationalisation and innovation initiatives.

ISMT, one of the region's higher education institutions, has stood out for its ability to adapt to the needs of the global market, training qualified professionals and promoting strong links with the business community. ISMT's president emphasised the importance of creating synergies with international companies and institutions, particularly in the context of Brazil-Portugal partnerships, and reinforced ISMT's role in promoting education focused on innovation and global needs.

ISMT's participation in this panel was seen as a moment to strengthen the recognition of the Coimbra Region as a centre of excellence in higher education and innovation, highlighting the importance of integrating academia with the business fabric to create sustainable and competitive solutions in international markets.

Over the first two days, the entrepreneurs took part in various presentations on investment and internationalisation opportunities in the Coimbra Region. Among the speakers were the executive secretary of CIM Região de Coimbra, Jorge Brito, the vice-president of CCDRC, Eduardo Anselmo Castro, and the coordinator of Turismo de Portugal's Directorate for Business Competitiveness, Rui Veloso.

UC Business's innovation manager, Ricardo Dias, also provided an insight into the region's innovation ecosystem.

The mission also included business meetings between Brazilian entrepreneurs and local companies. Over the next few days, the participants will have the opportunity to make technical visits to leading companies in the region, as well as a visit to the University of Coimbra, scheduled for Friday.

This event is part of the CR4Future: Coimbra Region for Future project, promoted by the CIM Região de Coimbra in partnership with CONCERCOIMBRA - Coimbra Region Business Council and CERC. The project aims to support the internationalisation of SMEs and promote sustainable economic development in the region, in line with the priorities of the Centre's Regional Strategy for Intelligent Specialisation for the period 2021-2027.

The Business Moove Business Mission thus represents a unique opportunity to strengthen economic relations between Portugal and Brazil, creating new gateways for the joint growth of the two economies, with the Miguel Torga Higher Institute emerging as one of the main liaison agents between the academic and business worlds.