Web Summit 2026 in Lisbon: humanoid robots become speakers for the first time, China sends a record delegation

Robots on stage and a record Chinese presence

The tenth Web Summit conference opened in Lisbon on November 9 and will run until Thursday. According to Euronews, 2026 marks an epochal shift in the event's history: the focus is moving from software that generates text and images to 'physical' artificial intelligence — autonomous agents that interact directly with the public. For the first time, humanoid robots have been given the role of official speakers. The machines were made in China, which has sent the largest delegation in the conference's history; the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the Cyberspace Administration have also sent their own delegations.

What is happening at the venue

The robots will take the stage on the opening evening itself, and over the four days, in addition to talks, they will hold practical demonstrations at brand booths at the Lisbon International Fair (FIL) and in the MEO Arena. One of the robots on display, developed by Galbot, is equipped with wheels and two arms and is capable of working full shifts in shops, pharmacies and factories. The conference programme covers the use of AI agents, technology-driven scientific research, the challenges of digital regulation and the restructuring of work models. The organisers expect around 70,000 attendees, including 900 speakers and more than two thousand startups. Doors opened at 4:30 pm, the first talks on the main stage began at 6:00 pm, and the opening ceremony was led by Minister Adjunct for State Reform Gonçalo Matias.

The Brazilian and Portuguese delegations

Around 300 startups from Brazil are present at the venue, 100 of which are part of the mission organised by Sebrae and ApexBrasil. On Tuesday, these organisations will announce up to 20 startups selected for an incubation programme in Lisbon that starts in March 2027; its goal is to bring the Brazilian tech ecosystem closer to European investors operating in international markets. Portugal is sending 78 companies to the conference, primarily from the fields of AI and medical technology.

The conference's future in Lisbon remains undecided

Whether Web Summit will stay in Portugal after 2028, when the €110 million contract signed with the Portuguese government and the Lisbon city hall expires, was not revealed by the event's CEO and co-founder Paddy Cosgrave. In an interview with the newspaper Expresso last week, he said he was in talks with most major European cities and plans to announce the conference's future host at the 2027 event. Among the factors he cited were the limitations of the Lisbon venue: 'We have been operating at full capacity for years and have built 30,000 square metres of temporary structures.'