ICT sector mission to Porto Alegre boosts collaboration between Uruguay and Brazil

A delegation of Uruguayan technology companies accompanied by the investment, export, and country brand promotion agency, Uruguay XXI, in collaboration with the Uruguay Innovation Hub program and the Uruguayan Chamber of Technology of Uruguay (CUTI), was part of a mission to Porto Alegre to explore opportunities in the technology and innovation ecosystem of the Rio Grande Do Sul region.

The delegation visited Tecnopuc, a science and technology park of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, where they learned about its various work verticals. There, the executive director of Uruguay XXI, Sebastián Risso, gave a presentation highlighting the advantages of Uruguay as a business and innovation hub for the region and the world. The director of PwC, María Noel Vidal, spoke in depth about the country’s tax benefits for the arrival of investments. Uruguay Innovation Hub closed the day with a space for exchange between Brazilian companies, authorities, and Uruguayan leaders.

The mission also included visiting the Caldeira Institute, an innovation center founded two years ago that brings together government, companies, startups, academia, and investment funds. Here, the delegation was received by its CEO, Pedro Valerio.

The executive director of Uruguay Innovation Hub, Sabrina Sauteliskis, and Andre Godoy from Sebraex highlighted innovative initiatives in a panel moderated by the CEO of Ventiur, Sandro Cortezia.

The trip encompassed a tour of Unisinos University and the Unitec Technology Park, reaffirming the significance of academia in the ecosystem. This influence is also evident in the Uruguayan technology ecosystem, known for its exceptionally skilled and multilingual talent.

This activity brought together an outstanding cluster of companies, authorities, and representatives of the Uruguayan ecosystem, thanks to the synergy between institutions such as the TECNOPUC technology park and the ASSESPRO federation, whose president, Marcelo Streck, acted as host for the delegation.

In this context, South Summit, a reference event in the global innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, extended a formal invitation for the 2024 edition to be held from March 20 to 22 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

With ten years of trajectory, the South Summit brings together more than 8,500 companies, 3,300 startups, 450 investors, more than 90 investment funds, and 500 national and international speakers.

Uruguay XXI participates in this activity aligned with the sectorial strategy of promoting the country as the region’s #1 business and innovation hub. Registrations are currently open for the Startup Competition, a contest for startups from all over the world that will be able to obtain mentoring and training on pitching techniques. These companies can present their ventures on the South Summit stage to top-tier investors and corporations.

“All these collaborations that took place during the mission, a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors, strengthen the commercial link between both countries based on innovation as a strategic point for development,” Risso said.