Hosted by NOVA IMS and the Oeiras Municipality, the event featured Paulo Portas, Sergiy Barbashyn, and Brian Klaas, who explored the challenges of geopolitics, ethics, talent, and innovation in a data-driven society.
Oeiras, June 25, 2026 – The Taguspark Congress Center hosted the Data with Purpose Summit, an initiative led by NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS) and the Oeiras Municipality, bringing together national and international experts to discuss the impact of data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the economy, governance, organizational competitiveness, and society at large.
Under the theme "Data Visionaries: Imagining Tomorrow, Today," the summit prompted reflection on how data is reshaping decision-making, innovation, and power dynamics in a world defined by rapid technological change, the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence, and mounting global geopolitical challenges.
Opening the summit, Miguel de Castro Neto underscored the importance of using data and AI responsibly, highlighting how these technologies can help build more efficient organizations, better-informed societies, and more competitive economies.
According to the Dean of NOVA IMS, the summit serves as a space to connect topics such as geopolitics, defense, the oceans, cities, talent, ethics, artificial intelligence, creativity, and art. While these subjects may appear unrelated, he noted, they are united by a common thread: data, analytical capacity, and artificial intelligence, which today are everywhere, all the time, with people always at the center.
One of the morning's highlights was a keynote by Paulo Portas, who examined how technology, data, and Artificial Intelligence are shaping contemporary conflicts and the new dynamics of global geopolitics. This was followed by a panel discussion on "War's Data and the Data War," which looked at the growing role of information, cybersecurity, and digital technologies in today's conflict scenarios.
Throughout the day, discussions also covered the use of data for territorial and ocean management, smart city governance, the development of the blue economy, and the role of Artificial Intelligence in anticipating future challenges and opportunities.
In the afternoon, Sergiy Barbashyn, president of the International Association for AI Ethics and Integrity, addressed the challenges of trust, human oversight, and AI regulation, stressing the need for strong transparency and accountability mechanisms in an era of increasing automation.
The relationship between data, talent, and competitiveness was also explored by representatives from national and international companies and organizations, who discussed how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the skills of the future and transforming business models.
Closing the summit, Brian Klaas, Professor of Global Politics at University College London and named one of Prospect magazine's "25 Top Thinkers Globally for 2025," challenged the assumption that more information inevitably leads to greater predictive power and control over the future. His talk emphasized the importance of embracing complexity, uncertainty, and the role of chance in a world increasingly shaped by data and predictive models.
The program also featured the Dean's Open Innovation Challenge, which recognized student-led projects in the areas of health, climate, and political transparency, showcasing the potential of data and Artificial Intelligence to address real-world societal challenges.
The summit concluded with remarks from Pedro Patacho, City Councillor for the Oeiras Municipality, who reaffirmed the municipality's commitment to innovation, knowledge, and the use of data as tools for economic development and improved quality of life for its citizens.
Organized by NOVA IMS and the Oeiras Municipality, the Data with Purpose Summit once again established itself as a meeting point for academia, business, public administration, and civil society to discuss the role of data and Artificial Intelligence in shaping the future.
