Imagine two board meetings taking place on the same morning. One is in São Paulo, the other in Porto. In both, the question initially appears to be technological: where should we invest in artificial intelligence? But within minutes, it becomes clear that the real decision lies elsewhere.
Which processes need to change? Who is accountable when a machine recommends a course of action? What talent will be needed three years from now? And how can organisations move faster without compromising trust, sustainability or reputation?
This is where the next chapter in the relationship between Portugal and Brazil begins.
For decades, our countries have been brought closer by language, history and culture. That proximity has opened doors and made relationships easier to build. Now, it needs to serve a more ambitious economic purpose: helping companies on both sides of the Atlantic learn faster and make better decisions at a time of profound transformation.
The provisional application of the Interim Trade Agreement between the European Union and Mercosur further strengthens this opportunity. Reducing barriers and widening market access creates a new route between the two blocs. But a route only creates value when companies are ready to travel it. Competitiveness will depend on their ability to interpret regulation, integrate value chains, adapt products, govern data and respond to increasingly demanding environmental requirements.
Portugal and Brazil bring different, yet complementary, strengths. Brazil offers scale, business diversity and environments in which new solutions can be tested quickly. Portugal brings proximity to European regulation, access to other markets and a natural position as a bridge between geographies.
Together, they can create a transatlantic space for responsible experimentation, where technology, talent and knowledge can move with confidence.
Unlocking that potential requires a shift in the leadership agenda. Artificial intelligence may have entered organisations through tools, but its real impact will be felt through decisions. It will reshape the distribution of responsibility, the design of roles, the relationship between human judgement and algorithmic recommendation, and even the speed at which organisations learn.
Leaders will therefore need to develop a capability that is less visible than technological expertise: the ability to ask better questions. An answer produced in seconds still has little value if it starts from the wrong question. Automating an inefficient process only makes it possible to execute the wrong approach faster.
Sustainability adds another layer to this transformation. Data, energy, supply chains and social impact are increasingly part of the same strategic decision. Companies that treat artificial intelligence, digital transformation and sustainability as separate agendas will lose coherence, talent and time.
This is where global business schools such as Porto Business School have an increasingly important role to play. They should act as laboratories where executives from different countries analyse real business challenges, confront different management models, test decisions and learn how to lead in contexts where ready-made answers do not yet exist.
The opportunity for a deeper relationship between Portugal and Brazil lies in turning historical trust into a learning infrastructure capable of bringing together companies, universities, chambers of commerce, leaders and emerging talent around concrete challenges.
Let us return to those two board meetings. The company that succeeds will not necessarily be the one that buys the most advanced tool first. It will be the one that can align technology, people and purpose, while learning faster than the change taking place around it.
Language has enabled us to talk to one another for centuries. The next decade will depend on what we are able to build from that conversation.
Opinion article by João Coelho Magalhães, International Business Development Director at Porto Business School. This article was originally published in issue no. 1152 of Câmara Portuguesa em Revista, published by the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in Brazil.