Regional Government closes public sessions on the assessment and review of RIS3 Açores
The Regional Director for Science and Technology stated today in Lagoa that presentation of development strategies for the Azores is "at the forefront" in terms of redefining the Strategy for Smart Specialisation insofar it "includes the alignment of RIS3 with the UN Sustainable Development Goals."
Bruno Pacheco highlighted that RIS3 Azores takes into account "the challenges of sustainability and the mitigation of climate change," adding that the Centro Region's Smart Specialisation strategy also addresses these issues.
The Regional Director spoke at the closing of the cycle of public sessions that took place on the islands of Terceira, Faial and São Miguel as part of the assessment and review of RIS3 Açores. They were intended to redefine the strategic priorities of the Smart Specialisation Strategy and present a summary of the results of the ongoing assessment process.
For Bruno Pacheco, "the collection of input and the involvement of the various regional stakeholders in this type of action is of the utmost importance for the discussion of the new design and strategic development goals of RIS3 Açores."
The Regional Director also recalled that the assessment of the first version of the Smart Specialisation Strategy aimed at "identifying and reformulating the axes that, due to the Region's characteristics and potentialities, required special attention in order to promote the development of the Azores and efficiently combine the various financing instruments with the new priority axes."
Bruno Pacheco stated that the new regional specialisation strategy will, on the one hand, "continue to focus on areas previously considered as priorities," such as fisheries and the sea, tourism, agriculture, animal husbandry and agro-industry. On the other hand, it will also "focus on new areas that have become relevant for the pursuit of the desired goals towards economic growth, social cohesion, and scientific and technological development, based on the Regional Government's strong commitment to innovation and competitiveness of regional companies."