Cohesion Through Collaboration in Portugal: The HQA® Visa Program
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” While the…
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
While the origin of that well-known saying may be disputed, there is no disputing the wisdom of the words within it. The belief in innovation through collaboration is at the heart of the HQA® Visa Program, which has blossomed in Portugal because of a collective conviction in the power of cooperation.
Stakeholders Unite
From staunch supporters of university research to those looking to enhance the country’s startup ecosystem, advocates for the HQA® Visa Program have grown exponentially as the program and its benefits have proliferated throughout Portugal. Among them is Canada’s Ambassador to Portugal, Elise Racicot, who has held her prestigious position for more than two years.
Earlier this year, Racicot and her team at the Canadian Embassy in Lisbon spearheaded the founding of the Canada-Portugal Chamber of Commerce as a means of enhancing an already strong trade relationship between the two nations. Through that initiative, she learned of Empowered Startups’ ability to deliver foreign direct investment to Portugal in the form of transnational entrepreneurs, proven professionals with the skills and resources to augment the economy in multiple manners.
An Ambassador’s Endorsement
Racicot became a vocal supporter of the HQA® Visa Program and joined other government officials, innovation experts, and representatives from universities and polytechnics at a recent reception in Lisbon to celebrate the success of the program to date and to gain insight into its future.
“As a Canadian, I am extremely proud and happy to see the kind of work that a company like Empowered Startups is doing because I think it is bringing great benefits to the relationship between our two countries, but also, I believe, to the economic cohesion of a country like Portugal”
Ambassador Elise Racicot
“As a Canadian, I am extremely proud and happy to see the kind of work that a company like Empowered Startups is doing because I think it is bringing great benefits to the relationship between our two countries, but also, I believe, to the economic cohesion of a country like Portugal,” Racicot expressed before sharing her view on how the HQA® Visa Program can create a greater sense of connection and community.
“I believe that there is a great and strong potential within the proposal of how to bring innovation not only to large urban centres, but also to other cities, to the countryside. I think this is a moment in the world where, politically, it is very difficult to have cohesion. There is often a growing social division because a lot of economic activity is concentrated more and more in some places.”
“So, there is a global reaction, I believe, of resistance to this modernity. But if we can bring innovation in an equal way in a territory, I think we can really make this revolution of knowledge benefit everyone and not create a resentment, a rejection. I believe it is a very positive thing.”
Presidential Address
Racicot’s inspiring words were well received by the group, which included Empowered Startups’ President, Chris Lennon. Much of Lennon’s career has involved tech transfer, so he is well-versed in both the benefits of research and the hurdles researchers may face in applying their findings to the real world.
His experience has guided the design and evolution of the HQA® Visa Program, which delivers an immediate injection of important funding for projects coupled with opportunities for researchers and graduate students. And while Lennon acknowledged those initial impacts, he emphasized the far-reaching effects of the HQA® Program that will be realized if the talented individuals throughout Empowered’s growing network in Portugal are exposed to each other’s skillsets and opportunities.
“Please attempt not to look at what we’re initially doing with the HQA® Program narrowly as just the first project being the end. Let’s look at it as being the first step to many more inquisitive opportunities,” implored Lennon after recognizing the efforts of the numerous people who have contributed to the program’s success to date.
“Yes, our entrepreneur will first land with a defined research project, but please try to expose them to everything else that’s going on at the university. Share with them the innovative research that might be dying on the vine for no reason other than no one’s figured out a commercial application yet. Share those things. Share anything else that is interesting, no matter if you see a direct benefit or not.”
“If we build a critical mass here, investing initially into the innovation research ecosystem, we really can’t fail, and we’re going to create considerably great impacts for the country. So, let’s continue to explore those opportunities together.”
Academic Approval
A fine example of what Lennon described is being provided by one of the prominent partner universities in Empowered Startups’ network, the University of Coimbra (UC), which co-hosted the lively reception in Lisbon. As one of the world’s oldest universities, UC has a proud history of innovation and entrepreneurship in its portfolio.
But as Nuno Mendonça explained to the audience, UC is a proponent of looking beyond its own campus for the people and programs that can bolster its mission to enrich society with the products of its academic institution. In the HQA® Visa Program, he sees an avenue to connect world-class talents who can positively contribute to a more prosperous Portugal.
“We have researchers who are excellent researchers, who work naturally for companies, that we do not need to put to work because they already go after companies, they already have those partnerships. But then there are all those other researchers. Many times, those researchers are excellent researchers, they are excellent students, but they are not entrepreneurs. And it is that support to the entrepreneurship that we need. It is that stimulus from a mature, experienced senior entrepreneur,” Mendonça shared.
“This is what we look for in the Empowered Startups’ HQA® Program. It is here that we consider that it is most valuable for Portugal to be able to count on this support, this stimulus to entrepreneurship.”
“And I believe, and we at the University of Coimbra believe, that this is the right path to be able to improve both scientific performance, academic performance, and, with this, also maximize the economic return to the country.”
The Best is Yet to Come
With such a committed and enthusiastic network of supporters behind it, the HQA® Visa Program is poised to grow in an unprecedented manner in the coming months and years. Empowered Startups is merely days away from reaching a significant milestone by recognizing the 100th entrepreneur to join the program, a fitting accomplishment for a year of record growth for what has become the best business immigration program in Europe.
Learn more about the HQA® Visa Program
