We do not have oil, we do not have large mineral reserves, and we do not have the size of the largest European markets. But this idea has long since ceased to make sense. Portugal has a valuable, competitive and internationally recognised resource. It is called talent.
Every year, Portuguese universities train thousands of highly qualified professionals in the areas of engineering, technology, health, management, research and science. Multinational companies that have set up shop in the country often confirm the quality of our professionals. The international technology centres that choose Portugal do so precisely because they find skills, knowledge and the ability to adapt.
The problem has never been a lack of talent. The problem is what happens after we graduate from it.
For decades, we have become accustomed to witnessing an almost normalised phenomenon. Many of the most qualified young people are looking for opportunities outside the country. Some leave because they find better salaries. Others because they find more ambitious projects, greater professional progression or more dynamic ecosystems. The truth is that a significant part of the investment that Portugal makes in the training of its people ends up benefiting other economies. And that should worry us much more than it does.
In a world increasingly dominated by technology, artificial intelligence and innovation, talent has become one of the most sought-after assets on a global scale. Countries no longer compete solely for investment. They compete for people. They compete for knowledge. They compete for the ability to create value.
This is precisely why the demographic changes identified by several international studies represent such a major challenge. Europe is ageing. The shortage of qualified professionals is increasing. And companies are increasingly looking for locations that can guarantee access to talent.
Paradoxically, Portugal is in a privileged position to benefit from this trend. It produces qualified professionals, offers quality of life, safety, climate and stability. These are factors that make the country attractive to live and work. The growth of the digital economy, technology hubs, global services and artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities to reverse a reality that for many years seemed inevitable. But this requires more than hope.
It requires better conditions for companies to grow. It requires a more efficient public administration. It requires affordable housing for young professionals. It demands salaries compatible with the qualifications produced. It requires an economy capable of creating more added value.
The challenge is no longer just to prevent the Portuguese from leaving. The real challenge is to create conditions for more people to choose to stay and for others to choose to come. Because the talent already exists. The world knows this. Investors know this. International companies know this.
Perhaps the time has come for Portugal to believe, too. Because in the end, the country’s most valuable resource is not underground, nor in infrastructure, nor even in energy. It continues to be what enters a classroom, a laboratory, a company or a university every day.
And it is precisely this resource that we can no longer see leaving through the airport door.
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