Science conducted in the Azores sets example for Europe, stresses Artur Lima - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-President of the Regional Government of the Azores, Artur Lima, chaired today the opening session of the fourth edition of the S3 SUMMIT: Smart Specialisation Strategy.

According to the Vice-President, the Azores are “an outermost region with a future in Europe. The science conducted here is at the highest level, highly skilled and valued” at a European level.

“The Azores have not lost their geostrategic importance,” he declared, adding that the Region “is now a route for submarine cables, which are fundamental for science, communication and digital transition.”

“The Region is peripherally central. We are an example for Europe, and for that reason, we should be acknowledged by the European Union, which does not always happen,” noted Artur Lima.

The Vice-President of the Government highlighted regional scientific progress, mentioning the science and technology parks and the future Martec Technopole in Horta.

"These are examples of what the Government has been doing to retain talent in the Azores. We are taking another structural step in this area through university residences that will allow researchers and students to establish themselves here,” he stated.

In this context, he addressed the deepened cooperation with the University of the Azores, mentioning a regional tenure programme currently being prepared to attract researchers to the Region.

Artur Lima also highlighted the Azores’ current importance for the study of biodiversity and the ocean, noting that the European Union may establish a Deep Sea Observatory on the island of Faial.

“This is the direction in which this Government is working, and this is why RIS3 has been amended,” he asserted.

“We have added the areas of Health and Space and Data Science to the vertical sectors. We have taken very significant steps in science, and RIS3 is fundamental in this regard, being well-suited to current developments and the future,” he assured.

The Vice-President also highlighted the “absolutely extraordinary work” of the Regional Directorate for Science, Innovation and Development, as well as the investment of €1.4 million in co-financing up to 2028 for 36 scientific projects, mobilising an overall investment of €9.2 million.

The S3 SUMMIT: Smart Specialisation Strategy is organised under the theme “Outermost Regions: Territories with a future?”. This fourth edition aims to analyse and discuss the present and future of smart specialisation strategies (SSS), as well as their effects and impacts on the Outermost Regions.

The debate will provide an opportunity to deepen knowledge-sharing, mutual learning and reflection on the relevance of these strategies for innovation, territorial transformation, and economic and social development. It will also provide an opportunity to reflect on the role that Outermost Regions play in the European and global strategic context.