Regional Government invests in reinforcement of coordination between research centres and companies, says Regional Director for Science and Technology
The Regional Director for Science and Technology stated in Ponta Delgada that the Azorean Government intends to "reinforce the coordination between regional companies and research centres as well as the synergies with national and international research bodies in order to expand production capacities in the field of research and innovation" in the Azores.
Bruno Pacheco spoke during the opening of the seminar "Biodiversity and Islands," an entity organised by the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO- Azores).
The Regional Director stressed the "undeniable importance" of research units of the University of the Azores for "the quality and quantity “of produced scientific research, "playing an important role in regional development." He also added that the Regional Government has recognised the role of research centres "as cornerstones of the regional scientific and technological system."
In this regard, the contribution of the Azorean Government to "the development, sustainability and projection" of these centres, recalling the "systematic and regular" support to the operation of the Azores research centres by the Government, which corresponded to an investment of 6060 thousand Euros between 2012 and 2016.
During his speech, Bruno Pacheco also pointed out that one of the Government’s goals for this legislative period in the field of Science "is to ensure the predictability of funding, its sustainability and return."
"Research centres, regardless of their size, scientific fields and organisational models should be strong, robust and competitive," said the government official. In this context, he pointing out one of the requirements: "training of critical mass and the development of creative and innovative environments that will contribute to the internationalisation of the scientific" regional system.
Bruno Pacheco also defended that "Regional and National Governments have demonstrated the greatest interest in the recovery of some delay in our scientific and technological system," emphasising that, "despite the difficulties, we can say that the path followed until here is positive, but we need to do better and increase our return."
In his speech, the Regional Director also mentioned the Science and Technology Parks that are being developed with the aim of "stimulating synergies and bringing knowledge institutions, namely universities, research centres and schools, closer to the production sector to facilitate the development of technical innovations, processes and ideas so that companies and the economy may become more competitive."