The heart of global innovation in California

SILICON VALLEY HOSTS BIG TECHS THAT ARE PART OF OUR LIVES, SUCH AS META, GOOGLE, APPLE, AND INTEL (AdobeStock)

If the world of technology has an epicenter, it is certainly Silicon Valley, and one of its unofficial capitals is San Jose. With a population of approximately 1 million inhabitants, the city is the third most populous in California and the largest in the northern part of the state, even surpassing San Francisco in absolute numbers. But what truly sets it apart is its vocation for innovation: it hosts some of the most influential companies on the planet, such as Apple, Google, Meta, Intel, and Tesla.

This is the itinerary for today of Missão Internacional Porto & Mar 2025, led by Grupo Tribuna, which reaches the fourth and final day of its technical agenda in the United States with the promise of an immersion into the most advanced technology available.

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Located about 80 km south of San Francisco, San Jose is the core of Silicon Valley, one of the richest and most innovative regions in the world. To give an idea, some estimates indicate that Silicon Valley’s GDP exceeds US\$ 500 billion, which would place it among the 25 largest countries in the world if it were an independent nation. And that’s not all: the region concentrates some of the best universities worldwide, such as Stanford and Berkeley, which drive the startup and technology ecosystem.

But San Jose is not just about bits and bytes. Founded in 1777, the city is one of the oldest in California and has a rich Hispanic heritage, with a historic downtown full of buildings dating back to the Spanish colonial period. The San Jose History Museum, located in Kelley Park, is a great option for those who want to better understand the city’s evolution before the digital era. Another important spot is Japantown, with a strong presence of Asian descendants.

For tourists, San Jose offers attractions beyond the offices of tech giants. The Tech Interactive, an interactive museum focused on science and innovation, is a great choice for all ages. The Winchester Mystery House, a Victorian mansion full of secret passages and staircases leading nowhere, is one of the most curious tourist spots in the region.

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Another highlight is the SAP Center arena, home to the San Jose Sharks hockey team and venue for major international shows. For those seeking a gastronomic experience, the city has a strong Asian and Mexican influence, with renowned restaurants serving everything from authentic ramen to artisanal tacos.

The cost of living, however, is one of the downsides. San Jose and Silicon Valley rank among the most expensive areas in the United States, with rents exceeding US\$ 3,000 per month for a one-bedroom apartment. Nonetheless, for those dreaming of launching the next great technological revolution, Silicon Valley remains the place where the boldest ideas can become reality. After all, it was there that inventions such as the microchip, commercial internet, and modern smartphones were born.

Multifunctionality After visiting the Port of Oakland, the Brazilian delegation had the opportunity to visit Autodesk, one of the global giants in engineering and design software, headquartered in San Francisco. The group was introduced to solutions focused on digital modeling of large infrastructure projects. Founded in 1982, the company is responsible for software programs such as AutoCAD, Revit, and Civil 3D — widely used in architecture, civil engineering, and construction projects around the world.

With a proposal based on data integration and multidisciplinary collaboration, these tools allow complex structures — such as port terminals, logistics warehouses, or road access systems — to be digitally modeled, simulated, and monitored from start to finish. The diversification of the company’s activities made it possible, for instance, for Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology to play a decisive role in the complex restoration work of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which caught fire in 2019 and was reopened last year.

(Missão Internacional Porto & Mar 2025)