As part of the Guimarães Youth Month celebrations, IDEGUI was the stage today for a vibrant exchange between the academic world and market reality. The initiative brought together young talent and top entrepreneurs to discuss how to transform prototypes into successful businesses.
The roundtable featured three protagonists who are redefining innovation in the region:
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Francisco Mendes (Solução Soalheira): Explained how he is taking roof maintenance to another level, using state-of-the-art drones for roof cleaning.
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Carolina Peixoto (Axios Care): Shared the social impact of her smart sensor technology, specifically designed to monitor and protect the elderly population.
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Francisco Lino (Sphere Project / FlinoTech): Presented his vision for smarter workplaces and lifestyles, focusing on the integration of AI-driven security and sustainable sensing solutions.
The debate centered on the importance of the “specialist-generalist” mindset and the practical challenges of starting out: how to manage risk in high-stakes industries and the fundamental steps to winning over a first client. By highlighting real paths to innovation, Guimarães reaffirms its commitment to empowering young talent. The event made it clear that the future is not just being planned—it is being built now, with technological solutions that care for people and optimize the world we live in.
The session also featured the participation of Rui Pinheiro, from Set.Up Guimarães, who led the theoretical and practical components of the workshop. The focus was on core concepts such as problem-solving, building resilient business models, and defining a clear value proposition. Pinheiro emphasized that a successful business is not born solely from a “good idea,” but from the precise identification of a market “pain point” that needs to be resolved.
To illustrate these concepts, global success stories familiar to the students were analyzed, such as Uber, Netflix, and Airbnb. Through these examples, they discussed how these companies did not reinvent transportation, cinema, or accommodation, but rather found more efficient, user-centric ways to deliver value, transforming entire industries by simplifying the consumer experience.
This session was organized by Set.Up Guimarães in close partnership with the Guimarães Municipality Youth Division. The initiative is part of Guimarães Youth Month, an ambitious program featuring many other activities, workshops, and debates throughout the month, reinforcing the city as a vibrant ecosystem for young talent and creativity.