Cabo Verde’s Planned Digital Bridge to Brazil

Cape Verde sent a 15-person delegation to the Web Summit in Rio de Janeiro to enhance remote work collaborations with Brazilian companies.

Led by the Secretary of State for the Digital Economy, the initiative introduces a new talent platform.

Pedro Lopes explained at the summit that this platform allows Cape Verdeans to remotely work for Brazilian companies without leaving their homeland.

Furthering this initiative, Cape Verde Digital signed a memorandum of understanding with a Brazilian startup founded by a Cape Verdean.

This partnership aims to recruit and employ Cape Verdean talent, connecting them with Brazilian businesses.

Lopes highlighted Cape Verde’s potential as a gateway to Africa for Brazil, utilizing their geographic and cultural proximity.

Lopes discussed using innovation to reshape Cape Verde’s national story, leveraging technology to empower citizens while respecting their history.

Additionally, the government plans to open a Technology Park this year to boost the digital economy.

This initiative aims to attract global enterprises with attractive fiscal incentives, shifting the island’s image from a tourist destination to a tech hub.

Lopes emphasized that Cape Verde aims to be a safe haven, free from persecution based on race, religion, or sexuality, fostering a progressive youth culture.

The summit at the Riocentro in Barra da Tijuca hosts over 30,000 attendees from 100 countries.

It features 1,000 startups, around 600 investors, and 600 speakers, supported by over 210 partners and 400 volunteers.

Initially launched in 2010 in Ireland, the Web Summit moved to Lisbon in 2016.

It is a major global tech event and has recently expanded to the Middle East with the inaugural Web Summit Qatar in early 2024.