Parkside Interactive inaugurates new technology centre in Porto

This Friday, the Austrian Parkside Interactive opened its office in Sá da Bandeira, where five dozen people already work and from where it expects to create value of over four million euros in three years in custom software development and UX (user experience) design.

"Very grateful that Parkside has chosen Porto", Rui Moreira believes that this is a demonstration that "the city is capable of attracting new businesses and, of course, talent". "Cities are their talent," reinforces the Mayor of Porto.

Also the fact that "we do not complicate things, we do not force a lot of bureaucracy and we try to make life easier for companies", helps in attracting investment. "We have a very business-oriented mentality", adds Rui Moreira.

Acknowledging that a lot of talent is "wasted" and leaves the country, the mayor says the city needs its "best blood" to be competitive. "There are things that are in the Government's hands, we cannot change taxation, we cannot subsidise companies, but we can make the city more attractive, which, in two words, means interesting and comfortable", concluded Rui Moreira, certain that this is Porto "for business and for young people".

Parkside Intertactive Portugal is Paulo Moura's way of "giving back" what the city of Porto has given him. "Born in another city in Porto", the now general manager of the Portuguese branch of the Austrian technology company confesses how, having studied and started a career in the city that would take the path abroad, he believes that "the best way to give back what the city has given me is to lead Parkside with a strong sense of responsibility, of commitment to excellence and in the interest of all our employees".

With prospects of creating value of over four million euros in the next three years, Paulo Moura hopes "not to stop there and, together with the local authorities, to strengthen our value and serve society better, serve Porto better".

"We want a fair company that attracts talent, that serves as an example of the advantages of investing in Porto and that brings Austria and Portugal even closer together," said Parkside's managing director, stressing the importance of finding open doors and of partnerships between companies and between them and the public sector. "The success of our city is a shared responsibility," he concluded.

The inauguration of Parkside Interactive's offices was attended by the Austrian Honorary Consul in Porto, the councillor for Economy, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Ricardo Valente, Parkside's CEO, and representatives of partner companies such as Zuhlke, Cocus AG, Bosch, Finantech, or New Work SE.

From the Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo de Portugal (AICEP), which, together with InvestPorto, accompanied the coming of the Austrian technology company to the city, the director of fundraising, Philomène Dias, welcomed the beginning of Parkside's operation in Porto, "which will bring services, technology, knowledge and talent".

She stressed the importance of retaining this talent, saying she was "very proud to see that Parkside has brought Paulo back to help add value in Portuguese in our city". "You are the example that Portugal and Porto can be leaders," she concluded.