Impact Hub is a global entrepreneurs network that has been connecting high-impact ideas for more than 10 years. In June 2016, Portugal will join this global innovation lab.

The purpose of this organization is to create a positive impact in a global scale. With more than 70 chapters spread in all 5 continents, these spaces are innovation centers among their communities. Here people, companies, governments and NGOs get together to discuss social changes and work together to make them happen.

The first Impact Hub in Portugal will be set in Lisbon, bringing a 3.000 square meters abandoned pavilion in Beato-Marvila back to life. Besides the co-working space for startups and individuals, Impact Hub Lisbon also aims at boosting Portuguese entrepreneurship worldwide.

According to Filipe Portela, leader of Impact Hub Lisbon, the project’s implementation in Portugal started two years ago, when a group of experienced professionals got inspired by the need to make the Portuguese innovation market international.

We felt something was missing, the biggest part of Portuguese Innovation is still inside the country. We want to help connect our innovation with the world.

The venue will have 250 co-working spots, 85 exclusive spaces for startups and event areas, able to receive up to 700 attendants. Filipe says that in the upcoming years, other Portuguese cities may join the network and develop their own chapters.

What makes Impact Hub unique is its community, individuals with diverse backgrounds, collaborating to develop their businesses and increase the positive impact they generate.

Filipe Portela

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Photo credit: ImpactHub Amesterdam