Lisbon (EFE).- The advances of Chinese companies in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and industrial transformation are being debated at the 2025 Web Summit, focused on the Asian giant. As in years past, the fair will take place at the Lisbon International Fair (FIL) in the Parque das Nações neighborhood of Lisbon.
“The silent influence of China on global innovation,” “Protecting our markets in the Chinese era,” “The future of money,” and “Trump, tariffs, and the new global order” are just some of the topics scheduled as part of this sub-section of the fair.
“I think it is important that the Web Summit offers opportunities for all our participants to meet those who are building the most innovative companies emerging in China and to listen to speakers with diverse opinions on why China is achieving what it is achieving,” Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave said during the opening of the “China Summit” on Tuesday.
He also emphasized this point during the opening ceremony on Monday, pointing out that the “most advanced humanoid robots and AI models in the world” are Chinese.
Although they are not the most numerous, the Chinese are visible at this year’s forum with company booths like those of event partners Huawei and Alibaba.
Several Chinese companies chose not to provide statements to EFE. Participants of other nationalities who attended the talks about the Asian giant were more open.
Among them was Aline Medina from Brazil, who works for the Portuguese company Everythink but decided to attend the fair “more for personal interests.”
She told EFE that her job depended on knowing market trends and new technologies. China catches her attention, she said, as “it is a very evolved market in relation to digital transformation, new technologies, and new software, especially concerning artificial intelligence.”
“I want to pay attention to what China is offering, especially in terms of artificial intelligence and software, so I can stay ahead of the latest innovations in the market. I came to understand what they have to offer,” Medina stressed. She added that learning Chinese is one of her pending tasks.
After participating in the Web Summit as a visitor for three years, she has noticed an increasing Chinese presence, which she believes is a growing phenomenon that will continue in future editions.
Another visitor who attended the “China Summit” talks was Bruna Plentz from Bliss Applications. She was looking to learn about trends and connect with other participants at this event.
Plentz explained that the Chinese market had long caught her attention due to its advances and relevance to her line of work, and the special focus on China at this Lisbon event “reaffirmed my expectations.”
“It confirms what I have already studied about the market,” she said.
In addition to Chinese growth, artificial intelligence is another major topic at this year’s summit, influencing sectors such as IT, healthcare, sports, and energy.
According to the organization’s data, this edition will have over 71,000 attendees from 157 countries, including 1,857 investors from 86 countries and over 2,500 startups, from Nov. 10 to 13. EFE
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