Over the four days of the event, Chinese humanoid robots will speak on stage and interact with the public at brand stands set up at FIL and MEO Arena.
The tenth edition of the Web Summit (source in Portuguese) in Portugal, which kicks off today and runs until next Thursday, once again brings together the tech world in Lisbon, but 2026 marks a new era in the event's history, with the move to physical Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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For the first time, humanoid robots will take on the role of official speakers, in a demonstration of China's vanguardism, the country that built these machines and that is bringing the largest delegation ever to this technology conference.
On the back of Chinese companies, the focus of the talks is no longer only on software that creates texts and images, but also on autonomous agents that interact directly with the public.
One of the robots present, developed by Galbot, has wheels and two arms and is capable of doing real work shifts in shops, pharmacies and factories.
The robots make their first appearances on the opening night and, over the four days, as well as talks, will give practical demonstrations at the stands of brands set up at the Lisbon International Fair (FIL) and at the MEO Arena. The Ministry of Commerce and the Cyberspace Administration of China are also sending delegations.
The Web Summit programme covers the use of AI agents, scientific research supported by technology, the challenges of digital regulation and the reshaping of work models.
The organisers expect to welcome nearly 70,000 participants, including 900 speakers, and more than two thousand startups. The doors open at 16:30, with the first speeches on the main stage starting at 18:00, and the opening session led by the Minister Adjunct and of State Reform, Gonçalo Matias.
Portuguese-speaking delegation
Around 300 startups will be present on site, 100 of them in the mission organised by Sebrae and ApexBrasil. On Tuesday, these institutions will announce up to 20 startups selected for an incubation programme in Lisbon, due to start in March 2027.
This will be a way of bringing the Brazilian tech ecosystem closer to European investors who operate in international markets.
Portugal, for its part, is sending 78 companies to this year's Web Summit, mainly from the AI and health technology sectors.
Web Summit in Lisbon until at least 2028
Paddy Cosgrave, chief executive and co-founder of Web Summit, has not said whether the event will stay in Portugal beyond 2028, when the 110 million euro contract signed with the Portuguese government and Lisbon City Council expires.
In an interview with the newspaper Expresso last week, Cosgrave said he is in talks with most major European cities and that he intends to make the announcement at the 2027 edition.
The limitations of the Lisbon venue will be a factor to take into account. He said they had been at the limit of capacity for years and had built 30,000 square metres of temporary structures.
