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The second day of Matosinhos Business2Sea featured a high-level Portugal–Canada Blue Cooperation session, focused on how the Hub Azul Network can support closer collaboration between Portugal and Canada in building a shared acceleration platform for investment, technology, and maritime entrepreneurship.
At the core of the discussion was the ambition to strengthen ties between Hub Azul Leixões and Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, unlocking new opportunities for cooperation across both blue innovation ecosystems.
The session opened with a keynote address by Elise Racicot, Ambassador of Canada to Portugal, who emphasized the importance of strong international partnerships in fostering ocean innovation and driving sustainable economic growth.
This was followed by a dynamic panel moderated by Gonçalo Faria, Lead Manager of Hub Azul Portugal, bringing together key stakeholders from both countries:
- Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
- Eduardo Silva, TEC4SEA Coordinator at INESC TEC
- Filipe Castro, Board Member at CIIMAR
- João Galante, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at LSTS FEUP – INEGI
The discussion highlighted concrete opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation, accelerate joint projects, and enhance investment flows across the blue economy value chain.
Hub Azul Portugal’s presence at Business2Sea once again reinforced its role as a strategic platform for international collaboration, innovation, and investment in the blue economy, positioning Portugal as a key partner in global ocean innovation networks.