PACT is once again present at the Feira de S. João de Évora
10 July 2024
From the 21st to the 30th of June, PACT – Alentejo Science and Technology Park participated in the Feira de S. João, in Évora, the largest and most emblematic event in the city.
PACT is a driving force for technology and innovation in the Alentejo, creating conditions for entrepreneurs, companies and new talents to settle in the region, and this was the second consecutive year that it was represented at the Alentejo event.
In statements, the Executive President of PACT says that the feedback received last year was extremely positive. “Given the success of PACT’s debut at the event, we decided that this year we wanted to surprise even more and came back with a larger and more dynamic space,” said Soumodip Sarkar.
This year, the PACT stand was located in the Institutional Pavilion, in Rossio de São Brás, and had as its main attractions simulators using Virtual Reality. From a Formula 1 simulator to a football simulator, the attraction that aroused the most interest was Icaros, a hang gliding flight simulator that required movement of the whole body.
“Many of the companies hosted at PACT work directly with emerging technologies in their projects. In this sense, we wanted to allow the Alentejo community, especially the younger audience, this first direct contact with the equipment, free of charge, and show some of its features, namely in terms of gaming”, explained Soumodip Sarkar. The focus on the area of video games is part of PACT’s participation as a partner in eGames Lab Portugal, a project supported by the RRP – Recovery and Resilience Plan, and by the European Next Generation EU Funds, and which aims to boost the eGames development sector and the country’s creative industries.
In addition to the immersive attractions, PACT promoted “PODPACT”, a podcast recorded in its space and which brought together outstanding personalities in the history of PACT for informal conversations, filled with many curiosities. In its first 3 episodes, “PODPACT” received as guests Soumodip Sarkar and Carlos Pinto de Sá, Mayor of Évora and also Member of the Board of Directors of PACT; Hermínia Vilar, Rector of the University of Évora, and Ausenda Balbino, Vice-President of PACT; and finally, Maurício Marques, Founder of Yacooba Labs, one of the companies that are part of the PRR eGames Lab, such as PACT, and Kika Cardoso, Presenter of eLiga Portugal and Betclic. The podcast episodes can be seen on the Youtube channel of the Alentejo Science and Technology Park in https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuhxXKGfBVNvQ4JUBt1BOJg
The Executive President of PACT was satisfied with the “hundreds of people, from all generations, who visited the PACT stand daily”. According to Soumodip Sarkar, “the Feira de S. João is an excellent opportunity to make known to the local and regional community the positive impact we have had in the Alentejo, through the projects in which we are involved, the services we offer to companies and entrepreneurs, and the connection we establish between the business world and academia”.
With the inauguration of the PACT 3.0 Complex (its 4 new state-of-the-art infrastructures), chaired by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, on June 21st, PACT strengthened its capacity to strengthen research, technological development and innovation in the region, thus standing out as one of the main driving elements of the Alentejo’s ambition.
