It is not just another industry event, but a clear sign that Portugal is taking a central role in the new global infrastructure built on data, energy, and connectivity.

By participating in this event as a media partner through The Portugal News, and simultaneously in my role as CEO of Casaiberia, I once again confirm something that I have been observing and writing about in recent years. Portugal is no longer just an attractive destination. It is becoming a strategic meeting point for a new economy that is built around information, energy, and global interconnection.

What makes this moment particularly relevant is the context. Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to participate in several international conferences, from Singapore to Riyadh, through Frankfurt, Munich, Cannes, and Las Vegas. In all of them, there is a pattern that is repeated more and more. Portugal comes up in the conversations. It appears as a hypothesis, as an alternative, as an opportunity. And now it is beginning to emerge as a reality.

The SIS 2026 Summit brings to Portugal more than 350 global executives from areas such as submarine cables, telecommunications, satellite, data centres, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructures. More than numbers, what is impressive is the quality and diversity of this ecosystem. We are talking about decision-makers who design the way data circulates in the world, how networks are built and how digital infrastructures evolve. And it is here, in Cascais, that they will meet to discuss the future.

Portugal today has a unique position in this global context. Its Atlantic location, which for centuries was relevant to maritime trade, now takes on a new dimension with submarine cables that connect continents and transport data at the speed of light. The connection between Europe, Africa and the Americas increasingly passes through this point. And this is not just geography. It is a strategy.

But there is another equally determining factor. Energy.

In a world where data centres and artificial intelligence require massive amounts of energy, the ability to deliver clean, stable, and competitive energy has become one of the key decision criteria. Portugal, with decades of investment in renewable energies, is very solidly positioned on this topic. What for years was seen as an environmental bet is now an economic and strategic advantage.

What is beginning to be designed is a new type of ecosystem. Submarine cables that bring data. Data centres that process this information. Renewable energy that powers this infrastructure. And global companies are looking for places where all this can coexist efficiently. Portugal meets these conditions.

Events such as SIS 2026 also show something that I consider fundamental. Portugal is not only attracting investment. It is attracting thought. It is becoming a space where companies, investors and operators come to discuss, share and define strategies. A real meeting point for brainstorming the new digital economy.

But this visibility brings with it responsibility. The challenge is not only to attract international attention. It lies in being able to respond to this attention with the ability to execute. Infrastructure, processes, planning, and coordination will need to evolve at the same pace as the overall interest. And at the same time, it will be essential to ensure balance. Between economic growth and quality of life. Between investment and accessibility. Between ambition and sustainability.

Over the past few years, I have been following this transformation closely, and one thing has become evident. We can no longer look at sectors such as telecommunications, energy, real estate, or technology in isolation. They are all part of the same system. A system that is being built now, in which Portugal has the opportunity to play a relevant role.

SIS 2026 is not just another event.

It is a clear reflection that Portugal is finally at the centre of the conversation.

And, most importantly, at the centre of opportunity.