Observador | Importance of Programs like the HQA Visa

Empowered Startups’ President, Christopher Lennon penned an interesting piece on how Portugal is positioning itself as a safe haven for innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in the face of growing uncertainty in the U.S. The article highlights how political instability and shifting immigration policies are pushing entrepreneurs to look elsewhere—and Portugal is stepping up as a serious contender.

Portugal’s stability, openness to international talent, and strong research institutions are creating a solid foundation for startups and investors. The country’s size is even seen as an advantage—offering a perfect test market before scaling globally.

His article also stresses the importance of deepening the connection between academia and industry to bring more world-class research to market. There’s real potential here for the interior regions to benefit from this shift too, not just Lisbon or Porto.

Overall, it’s a hopeful and timely reminder that Portugal could play a much bigger role in the global innovation space—if it keeps playing to its strengths. Of course, our HQA Visa Program serves Portugal’s strengths in these regards.

Worth a read if you’re interested in entrepreneurship, investment, or just curious about where things might be headed: The article is in Portuguese and titled, Um porto seguro para o empreendedorismo no meio da incerteza global

Portugal pode solidificar a sua posição como um porto seguro para a inovação e uma porta de entrada para a Europa, se continuar a oferecer um ambiente acolhedor e de apoio ao talento.