Web Summit in Lisbon: humanoid robots speak, China sends its largest delegation

The tenth edition of Web Summit began in Lisbon, Portugal, and runs until next Thursday, euronews.com reports euronews.comeuronews.comeuronews.comOpen source ↗. For the first time, humanoid robots act as official speakers. China, which built these machines, is bringing the largest delegation it has ever sent to the conference.

The Ministry of Commerce and the Cyberspace Administration of China are also sending delegations. The focus is shifting from software that creates text and images toward autonomous agents that interact directly with the public.

Robots on stage and at the stands

One of the robots on show, developed by Galbot, has wheels and two arms and can work real shifts in shops, pharmacies and factories, the report says. The machines make their first appearances on the opening night. Over the four days, besides giving talks, they will carry out practical demonstrations at brand stands at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and at the MEO Arena.

The programme covers the use of autonomous agents, technology-supported scientific research, the challenges of digital regulation and the reshaping of work models euronews.comeuronews.comeuronews.comOpen source ↗. Doors open at 16:30, and the first speeches on the main stage start at 18:00. The opening session is led by Gonçalo Matias, the Minister Delegate and for State Reform.

Attendance, startups and the future venue

The organisers expect close to 70,000 participants, including 900 speakers and more than two thousand startups. Around 300 Brazilian startups will be on site, 100 of them as part of a mission organised by Sebrae and ApexBrasil. On Tuesday these organisations will announce up to 20 selected startups for an incubation programme in Lisbon, due to start in March 2027. The aim is to bring Brazil's tech ecosystem closer to European investors operating in international markets.

Portugal is sending 78 companies, mainly in health tech.

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 with the Portuguese government and Lisbon City Council ends euronews.comeuronews.comeuronews.comOpen source ↗. In an interview with the newspaper Expresso last week, he said he is in talks with most major European cities and plans to announce the future host at the 2027 edition. The limits of the Lisbon venue will be a factor: "We have been at full capacity for years and have built 30,000 square metres of temporary structures," he said.