June, 18, 2025
From Chemistry Labs to Entrepreneurial Ventures and Global Talent Mobility: Meet Gonçalo de Sá, Director of University Partnerships at World Talents
Talent Mobility
Entrepreneur
World Talents Gonçalo de Sá
Before joining World Talents — a driving force behind Portugal’s innovation and the global talent mobility movement — Gonçalo de Sá began his career immersed in chemistry research at the University of Coimbra, supported by a notable research grant. His early work was part of a partnership between the University of Coimbra and the renowned pharmaceutical company Bluepharma, focused on photodynamic therapy — a method that generates reactive oxygen species to kill tumor cells. “The University of Coimbra had, and still has, a patent that later even led to an actual company,” he explains. “We believed we could have a strong effect on skin cancer, and we did.”
That project eventually split into two, one part targeting head and neck cancer, and the other leading to the creation of his first company, LaserLeap Technologies, which focused on skin treatments using a patented high-frequency ultrasound technique. “I’m still a shareholder in that company, and it still exists. Fortunately, none of the companies I’ve founded have gone bankrupt or shut down,” he says with a smile.
Throughout his career, Gonçalo has focused on what he calls technology-based entrepreneurship: “We’ve always developed technologies at universities and promoted the creation of companies based on intellectual property. Most researchers stay in the lab. But we decided not to leave our inventions in the drawer.”
Universities are never going to end. They’re not going to stop receiving funding, they can only grow and evolve. Governments will continue to finance them and provide support. This is a remarkable level of stability for global entrepreneurs—you know you’re integrating yourself into an ecosystem that will last and provide you with the launchpad for long-term growth.
—Gonçalo de Sá, Director of Programs and University Partnerships at World Talents
Gonçalo is proud to have been part of Portugal’s first wave of tech entrepreneurs. “I often say I’m a first-generation entrepreneur. I started very young, at 22 or 23. Back then, there was nothing—no money to fund these companies, very few people doing this, almost no success stories.” He credits the University of Coimbra's early investment in a strong patent portfolio for paving the way. “That’s why even today, the University of Coimbra is ahead in entrepreneurship. It has nearly 20 years of history in this.”
As he reflects on his path toward joining World Talents, he emphasizes the long-term stability that universities offer, which is key to their ongoing evolution in the global ecosystem: “Universities are never going to end. They’re not going to stop receiving funding, they can only grow and evolve. Governments will continue to finance them and provide support. This is a remarkable level of stability—you know you’re integrating yourself into an ecosystem that will last and provide you with the launchpad for long-term growth.”
That project eventually split into two, one part targeting head and neck cancer, and the other leading to the creation of his first company, LaserLeap Technologies, which focused on skin treatments using a patented high-frequency ultrasound technique. “I’m still a shareholder in that company, and it still exists. Fortunately, none of the companies I’ve founded have gone bankrupt or shut down,” he says with a smile.
Throughout his career, Gonçalo has focused on what he calls technology-based entrepreneurship: “We’ve always developed technologies at universities and promoted the creation of companies based on intellectual property. Most researchers stay in the lab. But we decided not to leave our inventions in the drawer.”
Universities are never going to end. They’re not going to stop receiving funding, they can only grow and evolve. Governments will continue to finance them and provide support. This is a remarkable level of stability for global entrepreneurs—you know you’re integrating yourself into an ecosystem that will last and provide you with the launchpad for long-term growth.
—Gonçalo de Sá, Director of Programs and University Partnerships at World Talents
Gonçalo is proud to have been part of Portugal’s first wave of tech entrepreneurs. “I often say I’m a first-generation entrepreneur. I started very young, at 22 or 23. Back then, there was nothing—no money to fund these companies, very few people doing this, almost no success stories.” He credits the University of Coimbra's early investment in a strong patent portfolio for paving the way. “That’s why even today, the University of Coimbra is ahead in entrepreneurship. It has nearly 20 years of history in this.”
As he reflects on his path toward joining World Talents, he emphasizes the long-term stability that universities offer, which is key to their ongoing evolution in the global ecosystem: “Universities are never going to end. They’re not going to stop receiving funding, they can only grow and evolve. Governments will continue to finance them and provide support. This is a remarkable level of stability—you know you’re integrating yourself into an ecosystem that will last and provide you with the launchpad for long-term growth.”
What’s Next for Portugal’s Innovation Future
Connecting Portuguese Universities to the World
After founding and running several businesses, Gonçalo eventually joined World Talents, where he now serves as Program and University Partnerships Director. There, he works at the intersection of global talent attraction, higher education, and entrepreneurship. Particularly within the Global Talent Portugal Program, which is specifically designed to bridge the global entrepreneurial world with the Portuguese university and startup ecosystem while supporting entrepreneurs and highly qualified individuals to establish themselves in the country.
One of his core missions at World Talents is fostering deep, meaningful collaboration with universities in Portugal. He believes that these institutions are crucial drivers of innovation, and they are evolving to fully embrace their role in the global talent economy.
“The Portuguese university ecosystem has brilliant people — researchers, scientists, thinkers — but we often don’t connect them with the outside world,” he says. “Now we can bring the world to the university, and bring the university into the world.”
For Gonçalo, this isn’t about international rankings or prestige — it’s about creating real, lasting impact and the role of open innovation in accelerating breakthroughs. “When you connect global talent to Portuguese universities, you create bridges for research, startups, and long-term development. It’s not just about education, it’s about innovation and collaboration.”
Many researchers and professors in Portugal are doing things that no one here can help them with yet. Bringing in highly qualified people can have a huge impact. That’s what open innovation is—everyone with the right characteristics and knowledge contributing.
—Gonçalo de Sá, Director of Programs and University Partnerships at World Talents
And he brings this mission to life with the perspective of someone who has lived on both sides—first as a young researcher dependent on institutional support, then as an entrepreneur, and now as an instrumental individual helping connect global entrepreneurs, researchers, and universities with the resources they need to thrive. “If Bluepharma hadn’t supported me when I was starting my research career many years ago, I probably wouldn’t be here. This makes me reflect on the significant impact that investors and participants in the World Talents program can have on a researcher’s life. A research grant or access to a particular conference can make the difference between success and failure. This is remarkable—this scientific-technical angle that brings highly qualified people to Portugal, who engage with universities, gives researchers, who usually don’t know their real market, a chance at funding, experience, and mentorship they otherwise wouldn’t have. That’s why Global Talent Portugal is also so exciting: it connects two worlds that are usually disconnected and can benefit tremendously from each other.”
“I understand firsthand the value and the need of our program. So when we now interact with researchers, investors, participants in Global Talent Portugal, even though they’re all unique and bring very diverse perspectives, we can interact easily because that’s what I’ve always done. Over the last 20 years, that’s been my path. It’s very easy to understand the vision of global entrepreneurs and the universities. Universities are still underfunded by the state, but they have lots of scientific activity, many projects. What they lack is mentorship, international experience, and access to highly qualified individuals in their context. That’s extremely important.”
The program focuses on helping international individuals integrate with local ecosystems, especially academic and startup communities, while supporting them with services and pathways that make the transition smoother. “Our goal isn’t just to bring people here,” he says. “It’s to ensure they have something meaningful to do once they arrive — to be part of something bigger than themselves. Talent migration isn’t just an economic issue,” he continues. “It’s about culture, innovation, long-term impact, and resilience.”
One of his core missions at World Talents is fostering deep, meaningful collaboration with universities in Portugal. He believes that these institutions are crucial drivers of innovation, and they are evolving to fully embrace their role in the global talent economy.
“The Portuguese university ecosystem has brilliant people — researchers, scientists, thinkers — but we often don’t connect them with the outside world,” he says. “Now we can bring the world to the university, and bring the university into the world.”
For Gonçalo, this isn’t about international rankings or prestige — it’s about creating real, lasting impact and the role of open innovation in accelerating breakthroughs. “When you connect global talent to Portuguese universities, you create bridges for research, startups, and long-term development. It’s not just about education, it’s about innovation and collaboration.”
Many researchers and professors in Portugal are doing things that no one here can help them with yet. Bringing in highly qualified people can have a huge impact. That’s what open innovation is—everyone with the right characteristics and knowledge contributing.
—Gonçalo de Sá, Director of Programs and University Partnerships at World Talents
And he brings this mission to life with the perspective of someone who has lived on both sides—first as a young researcher dependent on institutional support, then as an entrepreneur, and now as an instrumental individual helping connect global entrepreneurs, researchers, and universities with the resources they need to thrive. “If Bluepharma hadn’t supported me when I was starting my research career many years ago, I probably wouldn’t be here. This makes me reflect on the significant impact that investors and participants in the World Talents program can have on a researcher’s life. A research grant or access to a particular conference can make the difference between success and failure. This is remarkable—this scientific-technical angle that brings highly qualified people to Portugal, who engage with universities, gives researchers, who usually don’t know their real market, a chance at funding, experience, and mentorship they otherwise wouldn’t have. That’s why Global Talent Portugal is also so exciting: it connects two worlds that are usually disconnected and can benefit tremendously from each other.”
“I understand firsthand the value and the need of our program. So when we now interact with researchers, investors, participants in Global Talent Portugal, even though they’re all unique and bring very diverse perspectives, we can interact easily because that’s what I’ve always done. Over the last 20 years, that’s been my path. It’s very easy to understand the vision of global entrepreneurs and the universities. Universities are still underfunded by the state, but they have lots of scientific activity, many projects. What they lack is mentorship, international experience, and access to highly qualified individuals in their context. That’s extremely important.”
The program focuses on helping international individuals integrate with local ecosystems, especially academic and startup communities, while supporting them with services and pathways that make the transition smoother. “Our goal isn’t just to bring people here,” he says. “It’s to ensure they have something meaningful to do once they arrive — to be part of something bigger than themselves. Talent migration isn’t just an economic issue,” he continues. “It’s about culture, innovation, long-term impact, and resilience.”
Driving a Culture of Open Innovation
Gonçalo is a strong advocate for open innovation — the idea that institutions should collaborate across sectors and borders to solve complex problems. He sees Portugal as uniquely positioned to lead in this area.
“We are a small country, which means we can be agile. Our size can be an advantage if we open up,” he says. “Portugal needs to understand that innovation doesn’t happen in silos. It happens when people with different backgrounds and knowledge come together.”
He points to Elon Musk’s decision to publish Tesla’s patents as an example: “One example of open innovation is when Elon Musk, years ago, published all of Tesla’s patents to push the EV industry forward. That’s open innovation—bringing everyone together to push a sector forward.”
Gonçalo believes that many innovative technologies in Portugal are sitting untapped because local talent lacks the resources to bring them to life. “Many excellent Portuguese technologies are sitting in drawers because no one can implement them. These programs can be extremely useful in connecting motivated, knowledgeable, and financially capable people with those technologies.” He highlights the importance of universities working with startups, municipalities, and international organizations to create real-world solutions. “It’s not just about bringing people in — it’s about creating ecosystems that allow those people to thrive,” he emphasizes once again.
“We are a small country, which means we can be agile. Our size can be an advantage if we open up,” he says. “Portugal needs to understand that innovation doesn’t happen in silos. It happens when people with different backgrounds and knowledge come together.”
He points to Elon Musk’s decision to publish Tesla’s patents as an example: “One example of open innovation is when Elon Musk, years ago, published all of Tesla’s patents to push the EV industry forward. That’s open innovation—bringing everyone together to push a sector forward.”
Gonçalo believes that many innovative technologies in Portugal are sitting untapped because local talent lacks the resources to bring them to life. “Many excellent Portuguese technologies are sitting in drawers because no one can implement them. These programs can be extremely useful in connecting motivated, knowledgeable, and financially capable people with those technologies.” He highlights the importance of universities working with startups, municipalities, and international organizations to create real-world solutions. “It’s not just about bringing people in — it’s about creating ecosystems that allow those people to thrive,” he emphasizes once again.
What’s Next for Portugal’s Innovation Future
Looking ahead, Gonçalo envisions a Portugal where universities act as open platforms, talent moves with purpose, and innovation is embedded in everyday life. “Portugal has the potential to be one of the most exciting innovation hubs in Europe,” he says. “A country at the center of a global movement for knowledge, collaboration, and human potential.”
At the heart of this transformation is the groundbreaking work being done at World Talents—work that Gonçalo says is only possible because global entrepreneurs are actively driving this vision forward.
“When you connect universities with global entrepreneurs through World Talents and vice versa, you end up knowing the whole ecosystem. One entrepreneur from World Talents can connect you with an entire network; likewise, a university network can connect you with the entire startup and alumni ecosystem. That can have a massive impact. We will build that future when we increase the involvement of highly qualified people in the leadership and creation of companies and research projects with high growth potential. When they are a part of the economy, live and work here, that will greatly improve the ecosystem. And our program has all the ingredients to drive us in that direction—successful, impactful collaboration for all the parties involved.”
As he continues his work with World Talents, one thing is clear: his story — from chemistry labs to international talent networks — is a testament to what happens when curiosity, purpose, and community align.
At the heart of this transformation is the groundbreaking work being done at World Talents—work that Gonçalo says is only possible because global entrepreneurs are actively driving this vision forward.
“When you connect universities with global entrepreneurs through World Talents and vice versa, you end up knowing the whole ecosystem. One entrepreneur from World Talents can connect you with an entire network; likewise, a university network can connect you with the entire startup and alumni ecosystem. That can have a massive impact. We will build that future when we increase the involvement of highly qualified people in the leadership and creation of companies and research projects with high growth potential. When they are a part of the economy, live and work here, that will greatly improve the ecosystem. And our program has all the ingredients to drive us in that direction—successful, impactful collaboration for all the parties involved.”
As he continues his work with World Talents, one thing is clear: his story — from chemistry labs to international talent networks — is a testament to what happens when curiosity, purpose, and community align.