European project conducts survey on innovation and entrepreneurship among young Azoreans
The Regional Director for European Affairs highlighted in Ponta Delgada the survey on entrepreneurship and innovation among young people from all islands of the archipelago under the "Islands of Innovation" project.
"The implementation of the project for the studying of entrepreneurship and innovation took into consideration the younger generations that are now entering the labour market, who have expectations and live on islands," said Célia Azevedo. She spoke on the sidelines of the fifth stakeholder meeting of that project.
For the Regional Director, the "different realities" of the project's partner islands has led to need of understanding "why young people stay on the islands, why young people leave the islands or which conditions they would like to have in their geographical spaces to stay or to return."
"We do not intend that this project implemented among young people be just a survey. It should be rather a policy-making tool, not only in terms of innovation but also in terms of education, employment and youth policies in the Azores," stated the government official.
The survey, whose results will be released in the second half of this year, has been adapted to the regional situation, addressing the specificities of the nine islands. It was designed and implemented through a multidisciplinary team throughout the archipelago, involving nine hundred participants. Currently, the surveys submitted are being analysed in partnership with the University of the Azores.
Regarding the "Islands of Innovation" project, under which this analysis is being carried out, the Regional Director stated that "it intends to create synergies and structured dialogue practices on innovation," involving the civil society, public and private sectors, the business sector and knowledge centres.
Célia Azevedo stated that they intend to "develop innovation practices in a coordinated and systematic manner as well as to improve the knowledge of ongoing research projects in each of the regions that have joined the project, including the Azores."
The "Islands of Innovation" is a project developed under the INTERREG Europe programme with the participation of seven regions, namely Azores and Madeira, Friesland (Netherlands), Northern Urban Community of Basse-Terre in Guadeloupe (France), Samso (Denmark), Kuressaare (Estonia) and Northern Aegean Region (Greece).
"These regions have been able to find a common ground towards the improvement of what we can do together and the search for good practices that can be adopted not only in these and other regions, but also in the European space," stated the Regional Director for European Affairs.
In the Azores, the project takes into account the areas identified under the Strategy for Smart Specialisation (RIS3 Azores): Fisheries and Sea, Agriculture, Livestock, and Agroindustry and Tourism.
The "Islands of Innovation," created in 2017, falls within the regional strategy for innovation. Among other initiatives, it includes the creation of the Regional Innovation Council, the preparation and implementation of the Azores Agenda for Innovation and the evaluation and revision of the RIS3 strategy, ensuring its integration into the next post-2020 Community framework.