NEST - Tourism Innovation Centre is the anchor project of the Tourism 4.0 initiative and aims to contribute to empower Portugal as a global hub of innovation in tourism.
NEST mission is to promote innovation and the use of technology in the tourism value chain by supporting the development of new business ideas, project experimentation and the training of companies in the transition to a digital economy.
The objectives to be achieved also include:
_ Promotion of entrepreneurship, innovation, and research in tourism
_ Supporting companies in developing a creative and innovative vision
_ Creation of training laboratories in collaboration with Universities, Tourism Schools, Incubators and Knowledge Centres
_ Production and transfer of knowledge to companies
_ Dissemination of digital skills training trends and solutions
_ Position Portugal as one of the main Test Beds for Innovation projects
The Centre's priorities are the tourist experience, sustainability solutions and big data.
NEST is constituted by a private non-profit association, NEST Association- Tourism Innovation Centre. The NEST Association was formed on 18 February 2019 by eight entities, as founding members, ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal, Banco BPI, Brisa, Google, Microsoft, Millennium BCP, NOS and Turismo de Portugal.
Currently NEST also has functions as coordinator of the Digital Innovation Hub INNOVTOURISM DIH, which was recognized as one of the 9 national Digital Innovation Hubs and a proponent to European hub. It integrates a National Network of Digital Innovation Hubs that develop a connection with competitiveness clusters and technological interface centres recognised under the Action Plan for Digital Transition and by the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme.
NEST also has institutional relations with world organisations such as the UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation), with whom it has established a bilateral cooperation agreement in the areas of innovation and adoption of technologies applied to tourism, with the aim of creating an "ecosystem conducive to the creation of new companies and businesses, making Portugal the pilot country for this experience.
In addition to these projects, NEST is also present in other initiatives promoted under European Commission programmes, covering the whole innovation chain in order to support SMEs in the sector.
