After the deadline for applications submission, the PT Innovation Award, organized by Altice Labs, launched in September 2016 with the purpose of contributing to the identification and promotion of portuguese technological talent, reached its final stage.
“PT has always been a driving force for innovation in Portugal and that is why today is very important” said Paulo Neves, PT’s CEO, at the opening of the session. Expectations were high. After all, as Paulo Neves announced, “those who are here today are the best of the best“.
The 6 finalists selected (3 in the Startups category, 3 in the Academy category) presented their project to the jury on the 26th May. There are two prizes up for grabs: one of 15 thousand euros, for the Startups category, and another one of 5 thousand euros, for the Academy category.
Each team had five minutes to impress the jury. A very rigorous and demanding jury that spared no participants to their questions. “Be tough and demanding, that’s the goal, because your demand will be the quality of them and of their projects” said Alexandre Fonseca, PT’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), at the beginning of the event.
Also according to PT’s CTO, “this is an important step in what has been innovation and the importance that Altice has been giving to innovation and investment in innovation made in Portugal. Who knows if in a year or two years we will not have here anyone of you with a different relevance from the one you certainly already have on the national market today“.
The 45 minutes reserved for questions and answers, for each of the categories, were used in full.