The Portugal Digital Summit 2026 brought together more than 3.000 participants on October 21 and 22 at the Lisbon Congress Center to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy, businesses, and society. Organized by the Portuguese Digital Economy Association (ACEPI), in partnership with GoingNext, the event featured approximately 200 speakers, 90 partners, and 15 themed stages, under the theme The Age of AI Agents.
Noesis took part in this edition with an experience inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and two sessions focused on the evolution of leadership in the AI era. Under the concept Fantastic Factory for Real Growth, Noesis used Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a metaphor for how technology can create value for organizations.
Just like in a factory, no technology works in isolation. Business challenges often require a combination of different capabilities and areas of expertise, from applications, cloud, and infrastructure to data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and automation. By bringing these capabilities together, Noesis turns complex ideas into tangible solutions that address real business needs and drive growth.
To bring this concept to life, Noesis challenged attendees to find five hidden golden tickets. The five participants who found them received prizes, and Noesis also handed out chocolate throughout the experience.
Noesis’ participation also extended to the conference program, with two sessions exploring the challenges of leadership amid the growing adoption of artificial intelligence.
Rodolfo Luis Pereira, Noesis’ Head of Pre-Sales and Strategic Advisory, delivered the talk “The Intelligence–Consciousness Gap in Leadership”, challenging the role of leadership in a world where AI expands organizational capabilities. The session explored the importance of judgment, accountability, and setting priorities, highlighting that as technological capabilities continue to grow, the real challenge lies in deciding how and why to use them.
Meanwhile, Nelson Pereira, Noesis’ CTO, took part in the roundtable “The New Leadership Playbook: Leading People, AI Agents and Continuous Change”, moderated by João Guedes Vaz, Managing Partner and Founder of OrgShift Advisory. The panel also featured André Soares Campos, Executive Board Member at Sogrape Vinhos, and Ricardo Carvalho, CTO at Galp. The discussion explored the challenges of leading hybrid teams made up of people and intelligent agents, as well as how organizations can prepare for new ways of working. Leadership skills, change management, talent development, and building cultures rooted in innovation, trust, and continuous learning were also key topics.
Throughout the two-day event, business leaders and international experts discussed how to harness AI to drive innovation, productivity, and business competitiveness, while exploring the challenges of business transformation, leadership, cybersecurity, and the responsible adoption of technology.
Ultimately, in a factory built for the future, the magic lies not only in technology, but also in the ideas, people, and decisions that turn possibilities into reality.
