Welcome to the Official page of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic

I am indeed pleased to once again join the Conference of the Portuguese Association for the Development of Communications which, throughout these 25 years has asserted itself as a privileged stage for the debate and reflection over the Country’s future and on technological innovation.

A special compliment is due to the organization in the person of the Conference Chairman, Dr. António Vitorino, for having once more brought to the centre of the debate how information and communication technologies have influenced economic activity, society’s organization and people’s daily lives, opening the field for a prospective reflexion on the continuity of that influence in the multiple dimensions of our existence.

Humanity has been witnessing an explosion in technological innovation the effects of which only now are beginning to be truly understood. Everything is undergoing deep changes. From the energy revolution to new means of transport, to the intelligent management of our cities, to the operation of the financial system.

It is anyway a phenomenon which is not circumscribed to countries or fields of activity, but which occurs in multiple traditional and emerging sectors, both in advanced economies and in economies undergoing development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Throughout my mandates I have always given special regard to the role of information and communication technologies in the transformation of the economy and in societal changes.

It is not possible to speak of social and economic transformation without viewing the influence of the set of technologies that we normally refer to as “new technologies”. Because the “new technologies” are not new anymore and their assimilation by society has become so evident that the so-called “new technologies” are already a part of all the day-to-day economic and social activities, common to all of life’s instances.

For many of us, it is already difficult to reconstitute the past memory of our lives prior to the emergence of many of the technologies and applications that are nowadays in current use. And, for the younger generations, this experience is almost unconceivable.

It is thus not possible to view the development of the Country, in any economic, social or political aspect, without considering ICTs, without recognizing their determining influence and their transforming power, whether in the access to information and its sharing, whether in communication or in publicity.

Throughout the last quarter of a century, this transformation has been so intense that it is difficult to arrive at an overall view on the use and application of ICTs. After finding out their most evident benefits, it is now perhaps the time to ponder over some of their mishandling and abuse, to accept the complexities that arise in the relationship with the economic systems and with the State. What started by generating transparency and approach may in this stage contribute towards opacity, secrecy and alienation.

The capillarity of ICTs in information systems is so deeply seated that we may have to heed the intensified risk of exclusion of those who are not capable or unable to deal with their complexity.

For this reason, it is necessary to reflect up to what point that, which in a first stage brought us extraordinary benefits – mobile communications, wide band, social platforms – contributes towards the equitable development of society and the fullness of the development of our children. Will our educators be prepared for the implications of the use of technologies in the learning processes? For each pinpointed advantage, how many disadvantages may be identified?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The large scale transforming of economic and social activities, impelled by Information and Communication Technologies, visible and felt in our daily collective existence, oblige all of us, professionals in this and other industries, public and academic decision takers, to a redoubled effort in pondering upon what will be the digital future of our societies.

One part of that future is already visible. The hyper-connected World is nowadays already a reality, dictated by the exponential evolution with which individuals, processes and devices connect amongst themselves, through the power of the social networks.

In many cases, traditional concepts have become barely transposable to our environment. The new digital era somehow defined the concepts of privacy, property and security. The common notion of security in classical industrial systems has been overcome, in a World where it is practically impossible to establish protection perimeters surrounding a country’s economic and social activities. The classical notion of security is no longer significant in a World where large or small organizations may be the victims of thousands of remote aggressions in one only day.

The straight approach to digital security, the other side of technological innovation, implies knowing that, much more than a technical issue, this is equally a political and regulatory matter.

When everything becomes digital, institutions become more dependent upon information systems and digital networks and, as such, more vulnerable to criminal actions from sole individuals or organizations, to subversive political activism, to conflicts amongst sovereign States. We cannot forget the cost of innovation and the cost/benefit relation that it presents us with in a globalized world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this critical stage in Europe’s evolution, where risks are accumulated and uncertainty grows, policies are necessary that interpret the new technological and economic model and which generate people’s confidence.

We are well aware that changes in institutions are much slower and complex than changes in science, in technology and in the economy itself. For this reason, special sensitivity is demanded from the powers that be towards the challenges inherent to the impact of technologies on the economy and on society.

It is fundamental that conditions are created in order that regulatory powers become effective and, above all, to ensure the compatibility between the modernization of the productive system, the stability of the financial system and the strengthening of social cohesion.

It is from this virtuous balance that we may expect the conditions of European sustainable growth in the next decades, inverting the cycle of successive crises and extended economic stagnation.

Regarding ICTs, I recall the special priority conferred by the European agenda on Internet regulation, on the transparency and on the equilibrium in the regulation of telecommunications, of the audio-visual, of the media and of the new models of digital business, as well as the issues of cybersecurity and the safeguard of personal privacy and data flows.

Indeed, it is essential that innovation is compatible with security and fundamental rights, considering the opportunities – as well as the threats – that the new technological frontier may bring to peoples’ freedoms.

In all these challenges, the understanding of the role and the potential of ICTs by the public powers will be crucial for us to find new solutions to overcome the weaknesses that are very visible in Europe.

An institutional and social context adequate to the new technological and economic standard will set the conditions for a healthy and balanced growth, namely with respect to the employment of the new generations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In my first address to this Conference, in 2007, I stated that the Country had great expectations from this industry. I particularly referred to its contribution towards the competitiveness of our economy and to the strengthening of the Country’s social and territorial cohesion, as well as its drive in the assertion of our culture and to the Country’s prominence in the global world, especially in Portuguese speaking countries.

Since then, much has changed in our Country, in Europe and in the World.

We went through a period of unprecedented changes in the economy and in society, it so happening that the information technology industry is, due to its nature, a prominent player. Such changes will deeply impact operators and investors, as well as workers and consumers.

I am certain that the Portuguese communications industry will live up to the continuing demanding expectations.

We cannot expect an easy crossing, but I believe we can face the future of the digital economy with optimism and hope.

I have total confidence in the companies and in the capabilities of Portuguese managers and engineers to sustain the innovation cycles and to reinvent business models, bringing further strength and competitiveness to this industry, and thus better prepared to support the Country’s economic and social development.

Throughout this quarter century, the Communications Conference discussed and pointed out objectives, influenced key sectors, such as transport, public administration, distribution, banking and insurance, land planning and local authority management.

In the person of Professor Rogério Carapuça who now ceases his office as Chairman, I congratulate the Board of APDC, which, in line with its predecessors, carried out excellent work that must be recognized.

I consider well based the optimistic perspective with which we envisage the future of the communications industry in Portugal. Without underestimating the challenges it faces, I am convinced the industry will continue contributing significantly to the Country’s progress and to the strengthening of the competitiveness of the Portuguese economy.

I am certain that the Conference will, once again, provide concrete answers to the needs and challenges of the information technologies industry.

I wish you profitable work and the best of success for this Encounter.

Thank you very much.