Web Summit . The event has exceeded the expectations of the organizers, with 40,000 tickets sold , which shows the desire of the sector to meet again.
There are two key themes at the event, which started on Monday 1 November and will last for four days. On the one hand, there is concern about the climate , with more than 200 start-ups focused on this area.
“A lot of the companies are behind the innovations that will hopefully move the planet in the direction we desperately need,” Paddy Cosgrave , CEO of Web Summit, told Euronews . “Regardless of what rules are introduced, a lot of the companies on stage at Web Summit are pushing for any kind of route to some sort of carbon-neutral future ,” he goes on to explain.
United Nations Climate Change v Conference , also known as COP26 . “I think it’s really important that the world’s biggest decision-makers and political leaders and the world’s biggest polluters come together at COP26. It’s really important that they find a way forward,” Cosgrave says when asked about the overlap.
On the other hand, another of the 'topics' that dominate Web Summit is cryptocurrencies , with more than 200 startups focused on this section. For example, Nicolas Julia, co-founder and CEO of Sorare , the platform with an impact on NFT, is participating. Of course, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen , who headed the opening night lineup, was also present at this edition.
The rise of Web Summit, which will analyze the future of the web
Paddy Cosgrave stresses that he is particularly excited to welcome Tim Berners-Lee , the father of the World Wide Web. “He is back to close the event and talk about the future of the web. And a lot of this has to do with decentralised protocols,” he says.
In the interview, the expert also highlighted the growth of Web Summit , which has gone from a small event in Ireland to one of the most renowned technology meetings taking place in Portugal.
This is what he told Euronews:
“It started over a decade ago with 150 people in Dublin, and now it’s on a scale that I don’t think any of us could have possibly comprehended. I think it represents the explosion of technology in all of our lives. We’re all addicted to our phones and technology, in its many forms. Every aspect of our lives, from our choices to the way we consume content.”