Mr. Start-ups returns to Macau

The Macau SAR is expecting the visit of the Portuguese Secretary of State for Industry as he has been invited to return to the SAR, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong, revealed to Business Daily awhile ago. Now, João Vasconcelos has not only confirmed his trip but also the visit of a group of entrepreneurs, most of them leaders of Portuguese start-ups.
Leong invited Vasconcelos last December when he visited Portugal and will meet the Portuguese Secretary again next week, from 29th May to 1st June.
Mr. Vasconcelos will be accompanied by a delegation of young entrepreneurs and innovation managers plus Maria João Bonifácio, Vice-Consul and representative of AICEP, a trade and investment agency. The visit to start-ups in Qianhai (Shenzhen) will be followed by a trip to Hengqin, where the delegation will gauge the development of the Youth Entrepreneurship Valley.
In Macau, the Portuguese dignitary will attend the launch of the exhibition by artist VHILS in addition to a dinner upon the occasion of the international forum on investment and construction of infrastructures.
On the last day of his visit, the Secretary of State will visit the Entrepreneur Youth Centre and the Business Incubator Centre.
Vasconcelos was the first senior Portuguese official to visit Macau since Antonio Costa became Prime Minister. On that occasion, he promised Portugal and Macau would “soon strengthen co-operation in the fields of science and technology”, showing Macau “a new Portugal . . . [with] . . . a new economy . . . [and] . . .new entrepreneurs”.
Last October, Mr. Vasconcelos returned to the SAR as a member of the Prime Minister’s entourage, at which time he signed an agreement with Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong to establish in Macau a Start-up and Innovation Centre to open this year.
This will be his third trip to Macau. *with Alex Lee