Second phase of NONAGON moves forward in first half of 2020, announces Vasco Cordeiro
The President of the Government announced today an investment of about 7.5 million Euros in the expansion of the São Miguel Science and Technology Park - NONAGON. The decision took into consideration that building located in the municipality of Lagoa currently registers an occupancy rate of 100 percent.
“Currently, NONAGON has an occupancy rate of 100%. It encompasses dozens of technology-based companies, some already operating in the international market, with highly qualified professionals in 200 jobs," said Vasco Cordeiro at the opening session of the 13th Iberian Meeting of Science and Technology Parks.
At the beginning of the Government's three-day visit to São Miguel, the President of the Government also stressed that the results achieved by NONAGON, which entered into operation in late 2015, will now allow to move forward to the construction of a second building for this park. The work should begin in the first half of next year.
In his speech, Vasco Cordeiro also stated that the Regional Government will continue to invest in this type of infrastructures, such as the Terceira Science and Technology Park, TERINOV. It is focused on supporting business activity in areas complementary to those offered by NONAGON, mainly in the fields of agri-food and creative industries.
"In the first 11 months of effective operation, TERINOV already hosts 19 companies and business projects, representing almost 80 direct jobs. Additionally, it has already signed 11 protocols with networks and partners in this area," said Vasco Cordeiro.
According to him, one of the challenges of these science and technology parks is to increasingly contribute to job creation and wealth generation in the Region, transposing the innovation and research produced there to the regional business environment.
In this context, the regional Government launched, throughout the current legislative period, a series of tools under the "Transfer +" initiative aimed at creating an innovation-friendly ecosystem in the Region with the "very clear goal of enabling this innovation to effectively result in wealth generation and employment creation," said the President of the Government.
These tools include the "Business Incubation" and "RD Plus" vouchers, the lines of support to finance research and development projects in business context as well as other mechanisms intended to promote the internationalisation of business R&D.
The holding of this 13th Iberian Meeting of Science and Technology Parks is an unprecedented event that is being held for the first time in the Region. It is focused on awarding priority status to the creation of synergies, encouraging networking and promoting the development of cooperation actions between these infrastructures in Portugal and Spain.