Reinventing talent: crucial decisions for the competitiveness of Portugal

Reinventing talent: crucial decisions for the competitiveness of Portugal - Paula Fernandes, Managing Director – Technology Lead at Accenture Portugal.

Business News Portugal - With the beginning of a new year, we are back to the discussion about priorities, growth and the future. In the midst of this debate, there is a topic that Portugal is not yet facing properly: the real impact of Artificial Intelligence on our ability to grow as a country.

Portugal has been attractive for foreign companies. Quality of life, security, stability, skilled talent. This combination brought investment and put the country on the global radar. It was effective. But AI changed the context - and changed it quickly.

Today, companies do not choose countries because they are pleasant. They choose them for their ability to grow and challenge. And growing up in this new context means something very concrete: the right talent on the right scale, at the right time.

What is Portugal's greatest challenge?

Portugal has qualified professionals, but does not yet have enough critical mass of highly specialized talent to respond to the speed required for market advances. We train and attract, but we do not always retain. We continue to believe that quality of life solves everything, which is not true.

Talent that works in the field of AI, data or advanced engineering, where impact, complex challenges or access to cutting-edge technology and environments require decisions that don’t take months.

For years we have grown with a model based on competitive cost and strong junior talent. AI came to test the limits of this model. Growing today is not about having more people - it’s about generating more value per person. And that requires experts, experienced teams and ambitious projects.

There is also a comfortable illusion: that generating and attracting talent is enough. It is not. The real test is in creating conditions for this talent to stay, evolve and bring others with you. Without decision centers, without global projects, without consistent investment in advanced technology, Portugal runs the risk of being just a transit point.

AI didn’t bring a problem. It brought a clear challenge - and an opportunity. Countries that can grow are those that treat talent as a strategic asset, make clear choices and execute quickly.

Portugal is still on time. It has foundations, a good reputation and capable people.

What this new year requires is a clear decision: to treat training and education as a strategic investment for growth, not as an accessory policy.

In a world shaped by AI, slow training is the same as staying behind. Growing requires upgrading at scale, accelerating advanced training and creating real pathways for senior and specialist talent.

It is not enough to attract people - we must give them tools, challenges and a future.

Countries that grow are not the ones that talk more about just talent, they are those that invest in it continuously and without hesitation.

The future will not wait for us to learn at our own pace. It will move forward with those who learn faster.

Author:  Paula Francisca Fernandes, Managing Director – Technology Lead Accenture Portugal

About Paula Francisca Fernandes: Portuguese woman among winners of Microsoft Power Women Awards