The Government of the Azores, through the Regional Directorate for Science and Technology, promotes themed sessions on the creation of cluster on the three vectors of the Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation of the Azores (RIS3).

These sessions, which start Wednesday in Angra do Heroísmo, follow the organisation of seminars, held in February, which were a first generic approach to the creation of clusters in the areas of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Agro-industry, Fisheries and Sea, and Tourism.

 This initiative is primarily intended to raise the awareness of participants for the importance of developing collective efficiency strategies for networks in the Azores to increase the scale of companies and the coordination of actions directed to innovation, internationalisation and access to international knowledge platforms. Moreover, it privileges the activities that promote the interaction between the business world and the entities that make up the Regional Scientific and Technological System.

With the organisation of themed sessions, the Regional Directorate for Science and Technology will proceed with the implementation of the first phase of the clustering process in the Region. This goal will be achieved through the creation of working groups that will mobilise key local actors, including entrepreneurs, researchers, professional associations and public entities, in order to foster the emergence of new strategies in the areas covered by the RIS3 strategy in the archipelago.

The session scheduled for Wednesday will take place at the auditorium of the University of the Azores in Angra do Heroísmo, starting at 3 PM. It will address the creation of an Agriculture cluster and, from 5 PM, the creation of clusters in the areas of Sea and Tourism.

Under this initiative, the Government will organise a session on the Horizon 2020 programme at the same place on Thursday, March 26, at 8:30 AM. On the same day, the city of Horta will host a session on the creation of a Sea cluster at the auditorium of the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries of the University of the Azores.

On March 27, Friday, the Ponta Delgada Public Library will host themed sessions on the creation of clusters in the areas of Agriculture, Sea and Tourism, as well as on the Horizon 2020.

Later this day, there will be a meeting with the Regional Directors who oversee the areas that fall under the priority axes of the RIS3 strategy.