The launch of the newly formed Canada-Portugal Chamber of Commerce (CPCC) was the centrepiece of a well-attended Canada Day celebration in the heart of Lisbon on June 20th. Empowered Startups’ co-founders, Paul Girodo and Amber Allen, and the company’s President, Chris Lennon, were among those on hand to support the initiative, which aims to improve trade relations between Canada and Portugal through its membership, which already includes prominent representatives of the business community.
“Portugal and Canada have long-standing relations and the newly created Chamber of Commerce is another strategic step to deepen the economic ties between the two countries, which have already been growing since the development of the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union (CETA),” explained Ricardo Arroja, the recently named President of the Portuguese Trade and Investment Agency, AICEP. “It is an opportunity to open new business doors for Portuguese and Canadian companies and strengthen bilateral cooperation.”
Girodo, Allen and Lennon were front and centre as Elise Racicot, Ambassador of Canada to the Portuguese Republic, announced the official formation of the CPCC to the delight of a supportive crowd. Djordje Vidović, a Senior Trade Commissioner with the Canadian Embassy in Portugal, also addressed those gathered to celebrate the relationship between the two proud nations.
For more than half a decade, Empowered Startups, a Canadian multinational, has enhanced Canada’s trade relationship with Portugal through its HQA Visa Program. This mutually beneficial program brings accomplished transnational entrepreneurs to Portugal where they invest in innovative research projects at Portuguese universities and polytechnics. The only delivery partner endorsed by the Portuguese Government to operate the HQA Visa Program, Empowered Startups has already delivered more than €5 million of direct investment to Portugal, resulting in significant opportunities for researchers and students.
More information about the HQA Visa Program can be found on Empowered Startups’ website
“Portugal and Canada have long-standing relations and the newly created Chamber of Commerce is another strategic step to deepen the economic ties between the two countries…”
Ricardo Arroja – President of AICEP
