Q-Day Conference 2026: AI enters the Age of Agents

On 24 September 2026, Lisbon will host the 17th edition of the Q-Day Conference, organised by SPOT Nordic partner Quidgest. Taking place at Culturgest and also available online, this year’s conference will focus on one of the most significant developments currently shaping Artificial Intelligence: the emergence of autonomous AI agents.

Under the theme “AI: The Age of Agents”, Q-Day Conference 2026 will bring together representatives from the public sector, companies, universities and the entrepreneurial ecosystem to discuss how this new generation of AI is transforming organisations, economies and international competitiveness.

From generative AI to autonomous agents

Following the rapid adoption of generative AI, Artificial Intelligence is entering a new stage.

Rather than simply responding to prompts or generating content, AI agents are increasingly being designed to execute tasks, make decisions, interact with other systems and collaborate autonomously.

This transition creates significant opportunities for organisations but also raises important questions around governance, responsibility, trust, quality and technological sovereignty.

Q-Day 2026 will explore these challenges through several discussions focusing on digital sovereignty as a competitive advantage, strategies for organisations operating in an increasingly AI-driven economy, and the capabilities required to lead and orchestrate intelligent agents.

Portuguese talent and technology across borders

Of particular relevance to the SPOT Nordic community, this year’s programme will include a dedicated session on the Portuguese technological and entrepreneurial diaspora.

Portuguese professionals and companies will share their experiences of internationalisation, entrepreneurship and technological development, highlighting the contribution of Portuguese talent and innovation beyond national borders.

This international dimension closely connects with SPOT Nordic’s mission to strengthen links between Portugal and international research, innovation and business ecosystems, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, collaboration and internationalisation.

New insights into the future of AI

Q-Day 2026 will also introduce two initiatives designed to extend the conversation beyond the conference itself.

Quidgest will launch the book “Valuable AI Agents – From LLMs to Agent Capability Enablement”, presenting an approach to creating, integrating and governing AI agents within organisations.

The conference will also present the results of the Quidgest Observatory 2026–27, which analyses the maturity of agentic AI adoption in organisations based on perspectives gathered from professionals across 50 countries.

Among the issues highlighted by the Observatory are the growing importance of AI governance and organisational integration, the difficulty many organisations still face in demonstrating return on AI investments, the strategic relevance of technological sovereignty and the continuing gap between experimenting with AI agents and deploying them effectively in real organisational contexts.

Q-Day Conference 2026

The conference will take place in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend in Lisbon or follow the programme online.

Date: 24 September 2026Location: Culturgest, LisbonFormat: In-person and onlineTheme: AI: The Age of Agents

As a partner of Quidgest, SPOT Nordic is pleased to support the dissemination of Q-Day Conference 2026 and initiatives that foster dialogue around Artificial Intelligence, innovation, technological sovereignty and international collaboration.

The event provides an opportunity to explore not only where AI is heading, but also how organisations, leaders and innovation ecosystems can prepare for a future in which intelligent agents become increasingly integrated into the way we work and create value.

Learn more about Quidgest and Q-Day Conference here: https://quidgest.com/en/q-day-2026/