Azores to host European Symposium by NEREUS regions in 2025, highlights Paulo Estêvão - Communication

Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades

The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, praised the fact that the Azores will organise the fourth edition of the European Symposium by NEREUS (Network of European Regions Using Space Technologies) regions in Toulouse in 2025. According to him, this is an opportunity to "promote fruitful and inspiring discussions" to leverage "a stronger, more cohesive, innovative and inclusive European space sector."

"I am delighted to address all of you at the third European Symposium by NEREUS Regions. It is a moment to celebrate our commitment to interregional cooperation and the development of a more cohesive and innovative European space sector. This cooperation has been catalyzed by NEREUS, a network of which the Autonomous Region of the Azores is proud to have been one of the founding members," he said while speaking in the French city during the third symposium.

The session, which ends today, is held under the title "Space in Occitania: the future has already begun!" On this occasion, the Azores have been given the official go-ahead by the organisation to promote the 2025 meeting and have presented their vision in this regard, addressing, for example, the Santa Maria space ecosystem project. The symposium will focus on energy and water management as well as the use of space technologies for the emerging challenges of these sectors.

“Since its inception, NEREUS has played a key role in promoting the use and development of space technologies at a regional level, encouraging collaboration between European regions. The active participation of the Azores in creating this network reflects our commitment to leveraging the space sector as a driving force in terms of innovation, growth and innovation for our Region. With NEREUS, we have succeeded in bringing together the unique capabilities of each Region, promoting synergies that result in mutual benefits and innovative solutions to the challenges we face. In the Azores, we firmly believe that if we work together, we can turn our ambitions into reality,” stated Paulo Estêvão.

The city of Toulouse, “an undisputed benchmark in the aerospace sector,” is “an excellent example of what can be achieved with strategic vision, continuous investment and a solid partnership between the public and private sectors.”

“The strength of the aerospace sector in Toulouse inspires us and challenges us to raise our level of ambition. Our collaboration with leading regions in Europe allows us to learn and contribute our innovations and perspectives.

In the Azores, the unique geographical location and exceptional natural conditions endow the Region with opportunities in various space activities, such as satellite monitoring, Earth observation and access to space.

“However, we recognize that the true potential of the Azores in the space sector can only be achieved through close collaboration with other regions, benefiting from the knowledge and experience accumulated in different parts of Europe,” the Regional Secretary continued, addressing the participants present at the meeting.

The entity aims to achieve, among other things, goals such as involvement in European Union programmes to respond to the needs of the users of this technology, increasing citizen participation in European space policies and increasing the potential for exploring space technologies to sustain the economic growth of Regions.

He said: “In assuming the responsibility and honour of organising the fourth symposium on our islands in 2025, we are demonstrating the commitment of the Autonomous Region of the Azores to the space sector. We are also reiterating our belief that NEREUS continues to be the ideal platform for us to share experiences, develop joint projects, strengthen our collective capacity to face the complex challenges of the future and seize the opportunities provided by space.”