António Lagartixo, CEO of Deloitte Portugal, identified three strategic priorities for the country's economic development: technology, talent, and capital. Without them, he warns, Portugal cannot compete globally.
Challenges
Portugal is small, peripheral, and has limited capital.
"We can’t invest in everything — we must focus and act fast."
Three Pillars for Growth
1. Technology
Portugal has a strong record of adopting tech early (e.g. mobile networks, ATMs).
Tech:
- boosts productivity,
- opens access to global markets,
- helps close the competitiveness gap with larger nations.
2.Talent
- Education quality is high, but brain drain is rising.
- In 2023, 45% of Portuguese emigrants had higher education.
- Retaining skilled people is essential to stay competitive.
3.Capital
"Without results, we can’t attract capital — but without capital, we can’t deliver results."
Public-private investment is crucial, especially in high-impact sectors like:
- IT,
- biotech,
- healthcare,
- defense,
- advanced manufacturing.
“If we don’t think globally, we can’t achieve sustainable growth.”
Portugal must focus on strengths, invest strategically, and create conditions to keep top talent at home.
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