The Azores have, as a competitive advantage, their geographical centrality and natural conditions favourable to the creation of optimal environments for the existence of living labs and testbeds of innovative projects.
These specificities have led to greater recognition by the international scientific community of the region’s potential in terms of specific scientific and technological areas and have attracted the interest and active participation, through the implementation of joint projects, of many highly qualified partners specialising in subjects of key importance for the Azores.
The collaboration of regional researchers in international projects and networks will allow the Azores, on the one hand, to position itself at the same level as other European regions that are already at more advanced levels of development and, on the other hand, to project externally the research produced in the Azores.
In this sense, the DRCTD promotes the internationalisation of the Azores Scientific and Technological System so as to promote its empowerment and deployment in the European Research Area, as well as the growth and development of the Region. It is therefore responsible for encouraging the scientific community to participate in international organisations; multilateral programmes and scientific networks; joint scientific and technological cooperation projects or initiatives.
To this end, the following mechanisms are ensured:
- the co-financing of projects supported under European research and innovation programmes;
- launching calls for tenders and other initiatives to support participation in international congresses; for the development of internationalisation plans; for participation in networks and membership of international organisations.
Among the international networks integrated by the Autonomous Region of the Azores is the Network of European Regions using Space Technologies — NEREUS.