Web Summit is one of the biggest tech conferences in the world and the biggest start up gathering. It is a great opportunity to see current tech developments, network, learn from top key note speakers and see raising trends in a broadly understood start-up environment. This year edition revealed a massive interest in tech entrepreneurship as a carrier path from one side, but a decreasing innovativeness of implemented ideas from the other. Especially countless social media platforms and repetitive ideas trying to upscale existing solutions pitched at the event rose doubts regarding the creativity and motivation of many of the founders. In opposition, security and financial industries presented a number of forward looking solutions, mostly focused around blockchain applications.

The conference showed an optimistic vision of the start-up ecosystem. A strong representation of social entrepreneurs suggested a broad response of tech industry to the growing trend of responsible business. Also, despite the broad discussion on low participation of women in tech industry, women definitely ensured their visibility on the conference being present in all sectors and especially active in networking activities.

While the conference showed impact of technology on reshaping a broad range of industries, AI proved to be the hot topic of Web Summit 2017. The presentation of developments in AI, and of how societies and economies are already adapting to the revolution showed the urgency in general recognition of the incoming change and adjustment measures on micro and macro scale.

As always the conference attracted a group of top speakers. With 25 conferences running simultaneously with start-up presentations and networking the chance to catch all your favourites is really slight. However, the possibility to learn was enormous.

Our favourite highlights included:

• “If you are in a place that don’t understand that failure means experience and learning process, you should get out of there and look for another place for you…” Steve Blank
• “Education needs to be today about creating a long-life learners with multidisciplinary literacy (…) we need to build individuals that can constantly learn and institutions that are strongly adaptive to global changes…knowledge is not enough, it’s learning its application that matters… ” Mmantsetsa Marope, UNESCO
• “Marketing development should be simultaneous to product development. It should be about the promise you make to users and if you deliver it! “
• “Digital revolution is a beginning of a sustainability revolution which is bigger and faster than the industrial revolution (…) It’s important to use tech skills to progress the evolution and there is a growing market for the business trying to bring a bright future… Everything depends on the political will, but it’s entrepreneurs and business that can really make the difference (…) now it’s them that make the move grow despite the politics slowing it down. It’s up to entrepreneurs if we will make the required change” Al Gore

…. among many others….

To check the broad scope of Web Summit speakers, start-ups and networking opportunities and share your insides with us join us on the next Web Summit in Lisbon!