Mastercard establishes Lisbon Centre of Excellence for Innovation

Mastercard today announced the official launch of the Lisbon Centre of Excellence for Innovation, reaffirming the company’s commitment to driving digital transformation, innovation, and the advancement of next generation payment solutions across Europe.

The Centre of Excellence was officially unveiled today at an event attended by the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, and the Minister of Infrastructures and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, alongside Mastercard executives Jorn Lambert, Chief Product Officer at Mastercard; Kelly Devine, President of Mastercard Europe; and Paulo Raposo, Country Manager of Mastercard in Portugal. 

The Lisbon Centre of Excellence has been set up to drive innovation across the payments ecosystem by bringing together local and international talent with Mastercard’s global expertise. Utilizing advanced solutions and technologies, the teams on site are delivering products and services to empower businesses, governments, and consumers to effectively navigate the rapidly changing digital landscape.

Mastercard employs around 600 highly skilled technologists at the centre who are dedicated to pioneering initiatives in payments using artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data analytics. These professionals work across a range of technological and support functions—including software engineering, data science, product management, operations, and technical support. The team currently comprises members from 38 nationalities, with 72% of employees being Portuguese, with an average age of 34 years old.

Driving digital transformation

During the event, Mastercard demonstrated the first live transaction in Portugal using Agent Pay, Mastercard’s secure agentic commerce framework. This trusted technology allows AI agents to safely initiate and complete transactions on behalf of consumers and businesses by ensuring that every transaction is authorized, secure and transparent for all parties in the payment.

Supported by PayOS using a Mastercard, the company showcased how Agent Pay streamlines the agentic payment process and is poised to transform the way people shop online.

With an expanding portfolio that goes far beyond payments, Mastercard is setting a global benchmark for technology leadership and digital security. This ongoing transformation is now also driven by the Mastercard Centre of Excellence for Innovation in Lisbon, which works on driving new standards and redefining the future of digital innovation worldwide. 

Key capabilities provided by the Portuguese team include advanced cybersecurity solutions, data analytics platforms, fraud prevention technologies powered by AI, tokenization services for secure digital commerce, consulting for digital transformation, identity verification tools, and support for emerging payment models such as agent commerce and stablecoins.

Carlos Moedas, Mayor of Lisbon, says; “Lisbon is today one of the most attractive cities in Europe. Our strategy has a single objective: to create high-quality jobs for Lisbon’s residents, enabling a good quality of life and better salaries. That is why we are committed to attracting major companies to the city. The new Mastercard Center of Excellence for Innovation in Lisbon is an example of that effort and a result of this strategy.”

Miguel Pinto Luz, Portugal’s Minister of Infrastructure and Housing says; “Mastercard is a clear example of how partnerships between the public sector and leading companies can accelerate the country’s transformation. Portugal does not just want to keep up with the world. It wants to lead it.”

Paulo Raposo, Country Manager at Mastercard in Portugal, stated; “the new Centre of Excellence for Innovation in Lisbon strengthens Portugal’s role in Mastercard’s global strategy, accelerates digital payment transformation, and boosts local economic growth by creating jobs and empowering talent. This commitment also helps build strong partnerships and support SMEs, reinforcing Portugal’s place in a more innovative and inclusive financial ecosystem across Europe”. 

Kelly Devine, President of Mastercard Europe, said: "Our commitment to investing in various European markets reflects a strategy centered on innovation. Portugal has the capacity to host and develop large-scale technology operations, contributing to the country’s competitiveness and international strength.” 

Mastercard’s strategic investments power European innovation

Mastercard has been investing in infrastructure and specialized centres throughout Europe including Madrid, Dublin, Amsterdam and in the company’s European headquarters in Waterloo.

Today’s presentation follows ongoing investments in Europe, including the announcement late last year of the creation of three new data centres in Paris, representing an investment of €250 million. In the second half of this year, more European payments will be authorized locally through our new data centres. This marks just the first of many steps towards reinforcing Europe’s ability to rely on local, always-on infrastructure.