The IPBN's Commitment to Sustainability

See some ways the network is working for a greener tomorrow.

The Ireland Portugal Business Network’s (IPBN's) core values are underpinned by innovation and a commitment to sustainability, as evidenced by the wealth of conferences, awards, podcasts, and more that the network organizes and supports. We invite you to visit our section on our website dedicated to news and our coverage of Sustainability and the Blue Economy.

These pillars have been well defined by the creation of the IPBN’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Sustainability Conference in Lisbon, now looking forward to our fifth edition in 2024, and were further solidified by the selection criteria of the annual Business Success Awards, marked as well by this year’s fifth edition.

In the network’s June 2023 Visit to Cork, sustainability was a focal point of the trade mission as attendees enjoyed a visit to Green Rebel, an Irish-based, complete offshore survey service that supports offshore wind energy projects and helps Ireland achieve its climate objectives.

The network has gone even further to do its part in reaching the 2030 Sustainability goals as set forth by the UN Council by having organized two Ocean Conferences, the first in Lisbon at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in September 2021 and the second in Porto in 2023 at the Porto Business School. During that visit to Porto, IPBN General Manager Arnold Delville visited CEiiA and BlueInsight, a Marine autonomous robotics start-up developing a portfolio of solutions to drive sustainable economic value from healthy oceans.

You can find recordings of these events and more on the IPBN Podcast channel in addition to one-on-one discussions with key players in the field, such as Florijn de Graaf, Regenerative Systems Engineer and Founder of SmartHoods who is developing modern eco-villages that can produce their energy, food, and water as regenerative developments focusing on eco-lifestyles.

This came on the heels of the IPBN’s pilot podcast with former Chair of the IPBN board Aoife Healy as she sat down for a chat at the Irish Embassy in Portugal with Ireland's Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement and eGovernment, Ossian Smyth, TD.

Other recordings of previous sustainability and ocean conference speakers and panels are available as well to help you gain a better understanding of where they started, what they meant to accomplish, their fundamental goals, and where they stand today. You can also visit our YouTube channel and check the video teaser for the 2023 Sustainability conference here.

And now the IPBN is inviting you to do your part, whether you are an SME, a corporation, or an independent entrepreneur. How do you see the future? What are you doing to effect change? Share your story with us, as we are here to help you get the word out.