Rio mayor pledges to make Brazil’s “most iconic city” into its most dynamic one

Mayor Eduardo Paes of Rio de Janeiro was one of the keynote speakers in the Web Summit's opening ceremony. Photo: Gustavo Ribeiro/TBR

Speaking at the opening ceremony of Web Summit Rio, Mayor Eduardo Paes made bold pledges to transform Brazil’s picture-perfect tourism capital Rio de Janeiro into the country’s most dynamic hub for innovation.

“We have a plan for Rio, and Web Summit is part of that plan,” Mr. Paes said, adding that there will be at least six editions of one of the world’s biggest tech events in Brazil’s “Wonderful City.” Mr. Paes said that local authorities will cut down red tape in order to make it possible for anyone to set up a business within just a minute.

https://twitter.com/WebSummitRio/status/1653157443596087296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The mayor noted that attracting Web Summit to Rio de Janeiro forms an “important pillar” in his plan to transform the city into Brazil’s tech capital, and urged business owners from around the world to set up shop in the city.

“Rio is about quality of life. And quality of life is key to attracting and retaining talent,” Mr. Paes said. “Imagine having a dip in the sea at the feet of Christ the Redeemer before starting your daily work?”

Web Summit Rio kicked off today at the Riocentro convention center, running throughout the week until May 4. There will be over 100 hours of talks, masterclasses, and networking sessions.

Founded in 2009, the Web Summit was held in Dublin until 2016, when it moved to Lisbon. The event helped turn the Portuguese capital into a European tech hub and “wants to do the same for Rio de Janeiro,” Artur Pereira, Web Summit’s country manager in Brazil, tells The Brazilian Report’s Fabiane Ziolla Menezes.

The Brazilian Report will moderate four panels in Rio:

How AI is going to scale your organization. With Bruno Guicardi, co-founder of digital transformation firm CI&T; Alex Winetzki, founder and CEO of Brazilian AI-focused platform Woopi, and The Brazilian Report‘s Deputy Editor Fabiane Ziolla Menezes. (May 2, 11:45 am-12:05 pm)
AI: Future or fear? With Sarah Al-Hussaini, co-founder and COO at Ultimate, Aline Oliveira, co-founder of Traive, and Gustavo Ribeiro, editor-in-chief of The Brazilian Report. (May 3, 4:40 pm-5 pm)
How UFC fought its way to the top. Fred Santarpia, president of Endeavor Streaming, MMA fighter Amanda Ribas, Brazil UFC senior VP Eduardo Galetti, and The Brazilian Report’s Deputy Editor Euan Marshall. (May 3, 4:35 pm-5 pm)
Can LatAm challenge Silicon Valley? Rodrigo Maroja, co-founder & COO of Daki, Ludmila Pontremolez, co-founder and CTO of Zippi, Brian Requarth, co-founder of Latitud, Gustavo Ribeiro, founder and editor-in-chief of The Brazilian Report. (May 4, 1:05 pm-1:30 pm)

Gustavo Ribeiro and Euan Marshall

An award-winning journalist, Gustavo has extensive experience covering Brazilian politics and international affairs. He has been featured across Brazilian and French media outlets and founded The Brazilian Report in 2017. He holds a master’s degree in Political Science and Latin American studies from Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris.