More than 20 companies got the opportunity to showcase their activities at the Lisbon Web Summit. This is a huge opportunity for start-up founders taking their first steps into the world of big business.
‘The trade show is an opportunity to showcase the latest inventions, thoughts and trends that set the directions for the entire world economy. Even after the first day, it is clear that our companies have a place at the front of the pack. We have nothing to be ashamed about. We are catching up with others and we often lead change,’ Cezary Przybylski, Deputy Chairman of the Lower Silesian Regional Assembly, pointed out during the opening briefing at the Polish booth during the Web Summit.
City and voivodeship join forces to develop innovation
Lower Silesian start-ups showcase their offerings at global trade shows, such as the Web Summit, as part of the Going Global initiative (organised for the fourth time in 2025) and Startup Wroclaw.
Magdalena Okulowska, President of the Board of ARAW S.A.: ‘We are present in a wide range of industries. We have the broadly understood IT, AI, gamification and med-tech sectors. We also have companies at different levels of growth - from the very mature ones with a strong market presence, to new ones, which are here to find new opportunities.
‘For three days, Lisbon becomes the technological heart of Europe,’ Magdalena Okulowska pointed out. ‘More than 70,000 visitors and 3,000 exhibitors attend the Web Summit. And I am glad that we are among them.
The city has joined forces not only with the voivodeship, but also with the Startup Founders Association, with whom we are working on joint initiatives.
Innovation development hinges upon supporting start-ups
The voivodeship government and ARAW support start-ups by funding their participation in the Web Summit. At the joint booth, companies showcase their offerings, which gives everybody a chance to attract potential clients and investors.
‘We have young people with amazing ideas and concepts. The local government supports them by offering them a booth, where they can showcase their offering, participate in networking activities, find partners and initiate expansion into other markets ,’ explains Alina Szełemej, Chair of the International Cooperation Committee.
Piotr Karwan, voivodeship councillor: ‘As Lower Silesians, we should be proud of being one of the most rapidly developing regions. This is also shown by the delegation of entrepreneurs, who came to the Web Summit in large numbers. We are delighted that as a region, as the local government and the city of Wrocław, we can support this development.
‘We hope that in the upcoming years, we will be able to make our presence even more pronounced. This is actually the first time we are working in synergy with Startup Wroclaw and ARAW, who are already quite experienced with such trade shows. This shows us that these large conferences make sense - thanks to them the region can develop,’ concluded Bartłomiej Kubicz, Head of the Department of Economy and Promotion at the Lower Silesian Voivodeship’s Marshal’s Office.
