Dec 2, 2025
Our Grand Opening of UrbanHub in Lisbon was a full house and a powerful statement of what’s to come. The launch of UrbanHub Lisbon by SITIO.pt and EightySeven (ex-PropTech Lab) marked not just the opening of a new space, but the beginning of a new chapter for collaboration, innovation, and impact in the real estate and construction ecosystem.
From the moment the doors opened, the energy was unmistakable. Industry leaders, innovators, partners, and friends came together to explore the hub, meet the teams, exchange ideas, and celebrate this important milestone with us.
A Community-Driven Milestone
This evening on 2 Dec, 2025 would not have been possible without the people who brought insight, challenge, and perspective to the stage.
A special thank you to our speakers, who shared honest reflections from across the real estate, construction, technology, and advisory landscape:
Inês Drummond Borges, Executive Board Member & Chief Transformation Officer at Sonae Sierra
Nuno Alpendre, Partner at Deloitte Portugal
Michael Purefoy, Head of Asset Management at Fosun Hive Iberia
Tiago Sampaio Garrido, Managing Partner at HYPERLAPSE Construction Videos & Reality Capture
João Taveira Pinto, Head of Sales Iberia at Realpad
Dusan Randelovic, Co-Founder & CEO of PropWise
Their sharp insights and real-world experience grounded the discussion in reality and helped paint a clear picture of where the industry stands today — and where it needs to go next.
We also extend our thanks to our media partner, Magazine Imobiliário, and to our event sponsors, Realpad and HYPERLAPSE Construction Videos & Reality Capture, for supporting this milestone and believing in the long-term vision of the hub.
Key Takeaways from the On-Stage Discussion
The conversation on stage reflected an industry at a true inflection point. Below are the insights that resonated most strongly with the audience:
🚧 1. A late digital wave and a market “victim of its own success”
Real estate and construction are only now entering the digital transformation phase. Labour shortages, limits on immigration, and a strong pipeline of new projects are finally creating real pressure and momentum for technology adoption.
🗣️ 2. The real bottleneck: a gap of language
Startups speak in speed, features, and products. Corporates think in risk, governance, asset value, and long-term ROI. We need more “bridge” profiles to translate between both worlds and turn needs into concrete pilots.
⚡ 3. Why collaboration with startups is finally becoming easier
Corporates collaborate more when business models are clearer, needs are urgent, and impact is measurable. Energy and ESG are now the strongest entry points, driven by regulation, investor pressure, and tenant expectations.
🧠 4. The biggest internal resistance: not money, but knowledge & mindset
The main blocker isn’t budget - awareness. Teams need innovation literacy, space for low-risk experiments, and the courage to move beyond the “safe” conventional choice.
🧪 5. From “fail fast” to “success fast”: the power of test beds
Test beds real projects with clear needs enable faster, safer experimentation than generic PoCs. The industry needs 20-30 focused test beds across mobility, safety, housing, circularity, and more.
🤖 6. AI, data and “slicing the elephant”
AI requires high-quality, consistent data. Adoption works best when broken into small, concrete use cases with clear ROI, one “slice of the elephant” at a time.
♻️ 7. Circular economy & grey energy: the next big wave
Circularity and embodied carbon will soon move centre stage. Regulation and tenant expectations will push decisions, with operations offering the most mature ecosystem to begin implementing change.
Momentum You Can Feel
One of the strongest signals of the evening was the immediate engagement from the ecosystem:
several new members signed their contracts on the spot, a clear sign that momentum is building and that the community believes in what we are creating together.
What’s Next
The Lisbon hub is now officially open as a place to connect, test, learn, and build the future of the built environment together. This grand opening was not the finish line, but the starting point.
📸 See the full collection of photos from the night HERE
Thank you for being part of this journey. Lisbon, we’re just getting started. 🚀
