The Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture assured on Friday that the Government of the Azores will support "specific projects that are scientifically viable, financially sustainable and capable of assuring their continuity by maintaining scientific jobs and ensuring economic return."

Speaking at the opening session of the Conference "Science in the Azores - Which Future?" in Ponta Delgada, Luiz Fagundes Duarte considered the "need of redefining the structural axes" for the regional scientific system.

"We believe that the Azores have sufficient resources and the necessary critical mass to become a reference in the field of Research and Development by drawing advantage of its location between two of the world's most dynamic blocks in these areas - Europe and the United States - as well as of its location in Macaronesia," stated the government official.

In this regard, the Regional Secretary recalled the total investment of nearly 30 million Euros that was carried out by the previous Government to support the University of Azores in the development of projects and the purchase of equipment, even though the University is under the jurisdiction of the National Government.

In the current legislative period, ensured Luiz Fagundes Duarte, the Regional Government "will continue to invest in its scientists and support the University." This year, the Government will invest over 1.6 million Euros in scientific research grants.

This investment "is a clear evidence of a commitment to the future of Region and of the Azorean people with the aim of enhancing the knowledge of the reality that surrounds us, improving business competitiveness, developing useful knowledge for the prevention of risks and catastrophes and acknowledging the value of our scientific agents. For all that, this is a contribution to the progress of humanity."

Luiz Fagundes Duarte also announced the coming publication of the opening notice of the applications for support to hold conferences, scientific meetings and the operation of science centres. Furthermore, the ordinance on the first tranche of support to the tripartite division of the University of the Azores will be published soon.

The Regional Secretary restated that the University of the Azores is "the pillar of science policy in the Azores", defending that "the University should be endowed by the National Government with the necessary means for the pursuit of its teaching and research mission, not only for its importance in the regional context, but also for the Atlantic projection of the country."

"As a result of the lack of interest demonstrated by the National Government towards the University of the Azores," Luiz Fagundes Duarte assured that the Government of the Azores will do everything within its reach "to uncompromisingly defend our University, the knowledge it produces and its human resources, through the coordination between the University and our policy for the scientific sector."
 
The Conference "Science in the Azores - Which Future?," which takes place on Friday and Saturday, brings together over a hundred researchers, grant holders, businesspeople and public and private entities with the purpose of disseminating the Region's scientific potential, establishing contacts, promoting debates and creating synergies among participants.