Garret Cord Werner

Lisbon

Lisboa low

Lisbon is a cosmopolitan city in a privileged strategic position, with a rich heritage and a temperate climate, where people feel safe and welcome. But if you are unsure about what the city can offer to investors, companies, entrepreneurs and students, check the facts and what others have to say of Lisboa and Portugal.

 

Lisboa, European & Atlantic Business Hub

Lisbon is a strategic gateway to and from the European, American and African continents. 

  • Nearshore location in the same time zone as the UK

  • Portugal is a founding member of the EURO currency and a Member State of the Schengen area
  • Portuguese is the 4th most widely spoken language in the world (261 million speakers) and the 5th more used language over the Internet (Source: Observatório da Língua Portuguesa, 2017)
  • Privileged access to:
    • 500 Million European consumers
    • 260 Million Portuguese-speaking consumers (Brazil, Angola, Mozambique…)
    • USA and Canada, to which Portugal is the nearest European country
    • Other markets in South American, Africa and Asia, with whom Portugal has excellent relations
  • Infrastructure and Transport Routes - #19 out of 140 countries (Source: The Global Competitiveness Report 2018, World Economic Forum):
    • Quality of roads - #5
    • Quality of port infrastructure - #25 (ports in Lisbon, Setubal and Sines offer access to key shipping routes between the Panama and Suez canals; all mainland seaports are connected to the rail network onwards to Spain and Central Europe)
    • Quality of air transport infrastructure - #29 (daily direct flights from Lisbon International Airport to 110 major cities in the world – Source: ANA/VINCI Airports of Portugal, August 2017
    • Quality of railroad infrastructure - #31

Talent

Portugal puts a high value on Education. The result of this investment is a well-prepared, multilingual population, who embraces change and innovation. 

  • The Global Competitiveness Report 2018 (Source: WEF, 140 countries):
    • Major universities - #1
    • Tertiary enrolment - #10
    • Ease of hiring foreign labour - #9
    • Quality of math and science education - #28
    • Quality of the education system - #32
  • IMD World Talent Ranking 2018 (Source: IMD World Competitiveness Center, 63 countries):
    • Gov. expenditure on education per student - #3
    • Language skills - #5
    • Female labor force - #5
    • Investment in and development of home-grown talent - #7
    • Skilled labor - #8
    • Management education - #8
  • Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2018 (Source: INSEAD, The Adecco Group, TATA Communications, 119 countries):
    • Use of virtual professional networks - #16
    • Reading, maths and science - #21
    • Gender earnings gap - #22
    • Researchers - #23
    • Vocational enrolment - #24
    • Professionals - #24
    • Availability of scientists and engineers - #34
    • Female graduates - #39 
  • IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2018 (Source: IMD World Competitiveness Center, 63 countries):
    • Pupil-teacher Ratio (tertiary education) – #11
    • Digital/Technological Skills - #11
    • Graduates in Sciences - #15
    • Female Researchers – #16

Higher Education 2018 EN 1

  • Financial Times (FT.com):

“Portugal is a tremendously viable location for software development because the country has creative and highly educated engineers, a history of embracing new technologies and can produce quality at a price that cannot be beaten anywhere in Europe”. (Source: Microsoft quoted by aicep)

 

Competitiveness

The operating costs in Lisbon are some of the lowest in Europe, without compromising quality standards and level of service. 

  • The Global Competitiveness Report 2018 (Source: WEF, 140 countries):
    • Time (days) to start a business - #19
    • Value Chain Breadth - #33
    • Local Supplier Quality - #35
    • Production Process Sophistication - #36 
  • The Global Innovation Index 2018 - #32 out of 126 countries (Source: Cornell University/INSEAD/WIPO):
    • Political Stability & Safety - #13
    • Ecological Sustainability - #16
    • Business Environment – #18
  • Political Risk Index 2018 - Portugal scores 75,6 (Source: BMI Research’s Country Risk Index/Marsh - the higher the index, the less political risk) 
  • Administrative Modernisation & e-Government (fewer and simplified administrative procedures, delivering public services online 24/7)
  • Other Competitive Advantages
    • 2018 Corporate Income Tax Rate (IRC) – 21%
    • Annual Inflation Rate inferior to 1% (2017)
    • EU Labour Cost Levels in Industry, Construction and Services, 2016 - € 13.70 (Source: EUROSTAT, 2017)
    • Incentives to job creation and hiring:
      • Co-funded Professional Internships
      • Contract-Employment Measure
      • Social Security Tax Reduction
    • Financial and Tax Incentives to Productive and R&D Investment
    • Tax Incentives to attract Talent/Expats – Non-Habitual Resident scheme

Quality of Life and Safety

Quality of living combined with high safety records make Lisbon an easy sell when attracting talent. Moreover, sunny weather, great food, stunning architecture, world class surfing and golf and a dynamic cultural life add to the retention of human capital in the city. 

  • Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2018 (Source: INSEAD, The Adecco Group, TATA Communications, 119 countries):
    • Physician density - #4
    • Tolerance of minorities - #5
    • Environmental performance - #7
    • Pension system - #12
    • Sanitation - #15
    • Tolerance of immigrants - #17
    • Social protection - #29 
  • Top Expat Destinations 2018 – #6 out of 68 countries (Source: InterNations – Expat Insider 2018, The InterNations Survey):
    • Quality of Life Index - #2
    • Feeling at Home - #3
    • Personal Happiness – #4
    • Ease of Settling In Index – #4
    • Leisure options – #4
    • Friendliness - #5
    • Health & Well-Being - #6
    • Cost of Living - #11
  • Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor 2017 Scores and Rankings, XL Category – #3 Lisboa (Source: EU - The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor: 2017 Edition)
    • Cultural Vibrancy Index - #1
      • Cultural Venues & Facilities - #1
      • Museums - #1
      • Sights & landmarks - #2
      • Concerts & shows - #2
    • Creative Economy Index - #9
      • Jobs in new Enterprises in Other Creative Sectors - #1
      • New Jobs in Creative Sectors - #2
      • Jobs in New Arts, Culture & Entertainment Enterprises - #4
  • World Travel Awards 2018 & 2019 (Source: World Travel Awards):
    • World's Leading City Destination 2018 - Lisboa
    • World's Leading City Break Destination 2018 - Lisboa
    • World's Leading Destination 2018 - Portugal
    • Europe's Leading City Break Destination 2019 - Lisboa
    • Europe's Leading Cruise Port 2019 - Lisbon Cruise Port
    • Europe's Leading Destination 2019 - Portugal

Lisboa, Startup City

The start-up scene in Lisbon is thriving with record numbers of companies registered in the last few years, and there is a large contingent of foreign entrepreneurs who have taken root in the city. The wide availability of support, low taxes and affordable resources all make Lisbon an ideal launching pad for the young and ambitious. 

  • Incubators & Accelerators  – 32
  • FabLabs/Makers Spaces – 6
  • Co-working Spaces – 41
  • 3 Technological Parks (LISPOLIS, TAGUSPARK e MADANPARK)
  • 90 Higher Education Institutions in the Lisbon Area (Source: DGEEC/Pordata, 2017)
  • 157 Research Centres
  • Dynamic community of business angels, venture capital companies, crowdfunding, meetups.

"Lisbon has the lowest percentage of Founders with an Undergraduate Degree at 12%, and at 82% the highest percentage with a Master’s or PhD. 76% of Lisbon teams have 2-3 founders, 3rd highest in the world. (…) Lisbon has the highest rate of Women Founders in Europe, pointing towards inclusive growth, which could become a competitive advantage over time.", 2017 Global Startup Ecosystem Report

Meet the official community of Lisbon-based innovators at Made of Lisboa. 

Innovation & Technology 

  • The Global Competitiveness Report 2018 (Source: WEF, 140 countries):
    • FDI and Technology Transfer - #15
    • Availability of Latest Technologies– #20
    • Quality of Scientific Research Institutions - #22
    • Internet Bandwidth kb/s/user (177.8 kbps) – #25
    • Firm-level Technology Absorption – #28
    • Availability of Scientists and Engineers - #28
    • Innovation - #32
    • Intellectual Property Protection - #32
    • PCT Patents Applications/million pop. - #33
    • University-industry Collaboration in R&D - #36
    • Company Spending on R&D - #39
  • The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2018 (Source: UE, 28 countries):
    • Ultrafast Broadband Coverage and take-up - #4 (95% - higher than the EU average of 58%)
    • Fast Broadband (NGA) Coverage - #4
    • E-commerce Turnover – #6
    • Connectivity – #8
    • Fixed Broadband Coverage - #8
    • Use of Social Networks - #8
    • Electronic Information Sharing - #8
    • Music, Videos and Games - #10
    • RFID – #10
    • Integration of Digital Technology - #11
    • SMEs Selling Online - #12
  • The Global Innovation Index 2018 - #32 out of 126 countries (Source: Cornell University/INSEAD/WIPO):
    • Computer Software Spending - #8
    • Scientific and Technical Articles - #8
    • Intangible Assets - #10
    • Industrial Designs by origin - #11
    • ICTs & Business Model Creation - #14
    • ISO 9001 Certificates - #15
    • Country-code TLDs - #16
    • Trademarks by origin - #17
    • ISO 14001 Certificates - #21
    • Reseachers, FTE/mn pop. - #23
    • Gross Expenditure on R&D, % GDP - #28
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CONTACT US

 

Telephone: + (351) 21 322 40 50

Address:  Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, 89
1169-022 LISBOA Portugal