Portugal's Web Summit - What's Changed This 2018?
Last year, I congratulated founder Paddy Cosgrave for deciding to host the Web Summit in Lisbon for the second consecutive year. As such, it came as a pleasant surprise when he announced that the Web Summit has extended its original Lisbon mandate to 2028. The decision came in the wake of recent negotiations with the Portuguese Government who have agreed to pay €12 million for the extension, certain that the decision will bring the country hundreds of millions of euros in tourism, and investment; as well as putting Lisbon on the map as a centre for technological innovation.
However, to say that money was the sole rationale for the extension would be a vast over simplification. The city itself plays an important role in why Cosgrave was so quick to settle on Lisbon, especially with other global cities focusing their attention on the summit. It cannot be denied that Lisbon is a beautiful city, suffused with a rich history and culture. But that’s not all. In the words of EU Commissioner for Research, Science and innovation, Carlos Moedas, “innovation needs two main ingredients: […] diversity and tolerance.” Two attributes that aptly describe the euphoric atmosphere of Lisbon, and subsequently the Web Summit itself. Where friendships are created and fostered, business networks established, and above all, perspectives continually transcended. The Web Summit meticulously shifts the technological paradigm within the business world in hopes of a brighter, and more tolerant future!
The conference itself has also seen some improvements. The mobile application that guides over 60,000 participants has undergone some much-needed simplification, and a greater emphasis has been placed on communicating to the public all its hidden functionality. In terms of quality, the talks have gotten even more interesting with representatives present from Google, Microsoft, Apple, and the United Nations to name just a few! A phenomenon which leads me onto the only real criticism one can make, that you’re forced to prioritise one awesome talk over another. This decision can be really infuriating, but in retrospect, serves as an excellent indicator of how amazing the speakers are. From Sir Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the world wide web, to Sophia the Robot. Spanning topics such as crypto assets, Artificial Intelligence, sustainability, and even music. The summit does not disappoint. There is always something for everyone!
Some highlights:
Margrethe Vestager, EU Commissioner for Competition, discussed the future of the digital economy, and how vital the maintenance of a fair and open market is
Sophia The Robot revealed all her new upgrades such as improved thought processing, as well as her ability to perceive the surrounding environment and interact with it accordingly
Evan Williams, CEO of Medium, claims “the internet is broken” and discusses whether we can save the media industry from itself
Minecraft Studio Head Helen Chiang reveals how Minecraft is now improving the lives of people with severe motor disabilities, enabling them to control their avatars with their minds
Microsoft President Brad Smith emphasising the importance of digital security in a world were hacking isn’t just a joke. “Lives are on the line!”
Athens receives the EU Commission’s €1 million prize and award for being the European Capital of Innovation 2018
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic discussed the Fake News phenomenon and how it can be prevented
Porsche AG discusses its recent partnership with WayRay, a startup developing holographic AR (Augmented Reality) technology integrated into a vehicle’s windshield
XPRIZE General Manager for Innovation and Growth, Amir Banifatemi, discussed the merger of people and machines, and how its already happening today
Tim Draper, Peter Smith, and Garry Tan discussed the crazy year crypto currencies have had in the last year, as well as their positive predictions for its long-term future and how it could “give power back to the consumer (Smith)”
Google Vice President Tamar Yehoshua talks about greater privacy control for google services, citing flexibility, simplicity and clear understanding as the main goals for google
Samsung President and CSO, Young Sohn, claimed the data market will be like the oil industry
The Web Summit is still a relatively young conference, and therefore, we can expect it to grow and mature splendidly with each successive year. If there’s one lesson that should be taken away from the conference, it would be the message with which Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa closed the conference with: “It’s up to you to use the digital revolution for […] peace. […] Please help to create a better world!”
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