Futura did something rare in Limerick this month. It put founders, investors, policymakers, and researchers in the same room, and kept them talking across sectors that usually stay apart. What struck me most was the common purpose. Almost everyone I met was there to connect, build trust, and find the partners they need to grow.
Much has rightly been said about Futura’s success in creating those connections. Through my lens as a Leadership Architect working across cultures, I keep coming back to what happens next. An introduction is not a relationship. Trust isn’t built in one conversation over coffee. It grows in the second, third, and tenth conversation: the follow-up email, the introduction made as promised, the person who shows up again. Across borders, that takes even more care, because each culture builds trust, makes decisions, and signals commitment in its own way.
This is where IPBN matters most.
Events open doors. Networks keep them open. IPBN is the continuing room between Ireland and Portugal, where a promising first meeting can grow into a trusted relationship, and a trusted relationship into real business.
So here is my invitation.
Look at the people you met at Futura, or at any event this autumn, and ask who you could bring into the IPBN community. And as Futura grows, I would love to see a strong Portuguese presence in that room next year. The opportunities between our two countries are too valuable to leave to chance encounters.
Written by Sharon Dehmel, IPBN Board Member
