The Regional Secretary for Science, Technology and Infrastructures presented a paper on the Government’s investments in the promotion of science and research projects, under theme “Vocational training system in the Azores: ultra-peripheral regions,” to the European group that visited the Azores this past week.

At the end of a visit to Expolab in Lagoa, José Contente stressed the importance of the visit made by this group to São Miguel in order to become better acquainted with the policies developed by the Government in several areas as well as with the integration of the Azores in European cutting-edge projects. 

The Government official presented the Regional Scientific and Technological System which meets the overall objectives of Agenda 20/20, such as the principles of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. “Every day, we are getting closer to the most developed criteria in the European context with projects developed in areas that enhance our potentialities, such as the natural environment,” stressed the Regional Secretary.

José Contente presented to the European group the projects that are being promoted across the archipelago, including the ESA station on Santa Maria, climatology stations such as Pico-Nare and the atmospheric radiation measurement on Graciosa, the astronomy and geodesy stations and space-related projects, such as Doris, Corine, GMES, Nereus and the North Atlantic Maritime Surveillance Centre.

Hence, projects that acknowledge the value of the Azores as a natural laboratory and the centrality of the archipelago in the Atlantic should be privileged, stressed the Secretary. “Due to these factors, the ESA station was installed on Santa Maria and we were able to develop many projects in the areas of climatology and oceanography.”

José Contente stressed the involvement of the University of the Azores and of researchers in the implementation of scientific projects and mentioned that the Regional Government has supported the Azorean academy, allocating a global amount of 44 million Euros over the past five years.

The challenge that researchers currently face concerns the transfer of knowledge to companies so that they may develop added value products with marketing and export potential, through partnerships between the university and companies “in order to boost a new stage of regional development,” added the Regional Secretary.