SelectUSA Portugal Series: Transforming Opportunities into Expansion

The AIDA CCI – Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the District of Aveiro will host, on March 25, 2026, the internationally relevant event SelectUSA Portugal Series: From Portugal to the United States – Turning Opportunity into Expansion. This is a highly targeted initiative fully dedicated to investment opportunities and the operational expansion of Portuguese companies into the vast and competitive United States market. In a globalised economic scenario, market diversification plays a critical role in the sustainability and long-term growth of organisations based in the Aveiro district.

The session is actively promoted in a structural partnership with the United States Embassy in Lisbon and operates under the official SelectUSA initiative, the strategic US government programme designed to promote and actively support foreign direct investment in the United States. The gathering aims to present highly practical, rigorous, and specialised information regarding the process of corporate entry and expansion in the North American market, and it simultaneously shares valuable experiences from Portuguese companies that already possess an established presence in the US and have overcome initial internationalisation challenges.

Official Programme of the SelectUSA Portugal Series

The morning event will feature interventions from top experts in the legal, financial, and business development fields, to ensure that participants acquire the necessary knowledge to take the next step towards the United States of America.

• 9:30 AM: Registration
• 10:00 AM: Opening (Fernando Castro, President of AIDA CCI, and Youqing Ma, Commercial Counselor of the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon)
• 10:10 AM: Support for entering the US market: The role of SelectUSA (Pedro Ferreira, Senior Commercial Specialist)
• 10:30 AM: US Expansion Panel (Manuela Morais from Stevens & Lee, Conor Kenny from Clark Hill, and Pedro Coutinho from Transatlantic Highway Ventures, moderated by our Commercial Counselor Youqing Ma)
• 11:30 AM: Perspectives from Portuguese companies and entrepreneurs (NU-RISE, PicAdvanced, Altice Labs)
• 12:20 PM: Final remarks: U.S. Embassy, Pedro Ferreira, Senior Commercial Specialist
• 12:30 PM: Networking opportunity
• 12:45 PM: Closing

Strategic Partners and Expert Speakers

Stevens & Lee is a full-service North American law firm providing counsel to entities ranging from emerging businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. The firm offers integrated advice on corporate, regulatory, and immigration matters. Their representative at the event possesses over 20 years of experience guiding employers, with a specialisation in advising on E-2 investor visas, L-1 intracompany transfers, H-1B petitions, and permanent residency strategies.

Clark Hill is an international law firm founded in 1890, boasting offices in the US, Ireland, and Mexico. Its transatlantic practice enables integrated cross-border legal services in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), banking, litigation, and regulatory compliance, and advises clients on entering new markets and managing international dispute resolution.

Transatlantic Highway Ventures (THV) is an early-stage US venture capital fund that invests strictly in B2B startups founded by top engineering talent from Portugal. Its General Partner directly bridges the gap between the national ecosystem and the North American market, and offers capital and structured go-to-market support.

Representing the United States Embassy in Lisbon, the session will welcome contributions from counselors and specialists with over two decades of robust experience supporting companies with export development and cross-border investment attraction.

Target Audience and Practical Information

To further complement our internationalisation services, this initiative is specifically aimed at Portuguese companies interested in expanding their operations into the US, organisations holding investment projects in the American market, managers, corporate decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and startups with strong cross-border growth ambition.

• Date: March 25, 2026
• Time: 09:30 to 12:45
• Location: AIDA CCI Facilities, Aveiro
• Investment: Free participation, but mandatory pre-registration is required.

For formal inquiries or to request technical assistance, please send a direct message to <a href="mailto:n.parreira@aida.pt">n.parreira@aida.pt.

Accelerate your organisation’s growth and do not miss this opportunity to connect with top experts in the North American market.

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