Email:
Phone:
Fax:
Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades
“I Love Azores” honours Azorean descendants to mark 50 years of autonomy and 85 years of SATA
“I Love Azores” honours Azorean descendants to mark 50 years of autonomy and 85 years of SATA
Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas
Paulo Estêvão chaired signing of strategic agreement between EMA-Space and Azores Maritime School
Paulo Estêvão chaired signing of strategic agreement between EMA-Space and Azores Maritime School
Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades
Paulo Estêvão strengthens ties with Azorean communities during visit to House of the Azores of Quebec
Paulo Estêvão strengthens ties with Azorean communities during visit to House of the Azores of Quebec
May 25, 2026
“I Love Azores” honours Azorean descendants to mark 50 years of autonomy and 85 years of SATA
May 20, 2026
Paulo Estêvão chaired signing of strategic agreement between EMA-Space and Azores Maritime School
May 17, 2026
Paulo Estêvão strengthens ties with Azorean communities during visit to House of the Azores of Quebec
News
Nota de Imprensa
May 25, 2026
“I Love Azores” honours Azorean descendants to mark 50 years of autonomy and 85 years of SATA
Two young women of Azorean descent from the United States, Amanda da Rosa, from California, and Kelsey Almerico, from Washington, have won the “I Love Azores” competition, an initiative organised by the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, through the Regional Directorate for the Communities, and SATA/Azores Airlines. Promoted as part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Autonomous Region of the Azores and the 85th anniversary of SATA, the project encouraged young people of Azorean descent living in North America to share, in English, their connection to the Azores. The competition received entries from various communities across the United States and Canada, with four trips to the Azores to be awarded, departing from the airports served by SATA: Boston, New York, Toronto and Montreal. The competition jury was chaired by Katherine Vaz, an American writer of Azorean descent based in New York, and also included José Andrade, Regional Director for the Communities, and Graça Silva, Sales and Marketing Director at SATA. The jury decided to award two of the four prizes in competition, distinguishing the entries that stood out most for their literary quality, originality and genuine connection to Azorean identity. The Boston–Azores–Boston Prize was awarded to Amanda da Rosa, from California. As a descendant of Azorean emigrants, Amanda crafts a text in which the Autonomous Region of the Azores emerges as a space of living memory and profound sensory experience: the smell of freshly baked brioche bread, the sea “like glass,” the taste of fresh fish caught by a cousin. With humour and restrained emotion, the author portrays the dual sense of belonging of someone who grew up between two worlds: “too Portuguese to be American, too American to be Portuguese.” The islands are present in her daily life in unexpected and touching ways. The New York – Azores – New York Prize was awarded to Kelsey D’Andrade Almerico, from Tacoma, Washington State. Kelsey grew up as part of a “microscopic diaspora of Portuguese descent” comprising just three people, with no community clubs and no celebrations, but with a surname that had always connected her to something greater. Her intimate and reflective writing chronicles the journey she made in 2018 to Terceira Island, the land of her ancestors, and the moving discovery of roots she had only known through family stories. Throughout the text, the story emerges from one of her ancestors, who crossed the Atlantic and founded the first Portuguese language department at an American educational institution. Entries for the “I Love Azores” competition were submitted between February 1 and April 30, 2026, by Azorean descendants aged between 18 and 40. They consisted of an original text in English, no longer than one A4 page, describing their connection to the Azores, and were required to include references to the “Autonomous Region of the Azores,” “Azorean Communities,” and “SATA”. The results are now being announced as part of Azores Day celebrations. The “I Love Azores” competition reiterates the commitment of the Regional Government and SATA Group to promoting Azorean identity among younger generations in the diaspora. The winners will receive a round-trip ticket to the Azores as a prize, allowing them to further deepen their connection with the archipelago and experience first-hand the current reality of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
May 25, 2026
“I Love Azores” honours Azorean descendants to mark 50 years of autonomy and 85 years of SATA
Two young women of Azorean descent from the United States, Amanda da Rosa, from California, and Kelsey Almerico, from Washington, have won the “I Love Azores” competition, an initiative organised by the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, through the Regional Directorate for the Communities, and SATA/Azores Airlines. Promoted as part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Autonomous Region of the Azores and the 85th anniversary of SATA, the project encouraged young people of Azorean descent living in North America to share, in English, their connection to the Azores. The competition received entries from various communities across the United States and Canada, with four trips to the Azores to be awarded, departing from the airports served by SATA: Boston, New York, Toronto and Montreal. The competition jury was chaired by Katherine Vaz, an American writer of Azorean descent based in New York, and also included José Andrade, Regional Director for the Communities, and Graça Silva, Sales and Marketing Director at SATA. The jury decided to award two of the four prizes in competition, distinguishing the entries that stood out most for their literary quality, originality and genuine connection to Azorean identity. The Boston–Azores–Boston Prize was awarded to Amanda da Rosa, from California. As a descendant of Azorean emigrants, Amanda crafts a text in which the Autonomous Region of the Azores emerges as a space of living memory and profound sensory experience: the smell of freshly baked brioche bread, the sea “like glass,” the taste of fresh fish caught by a cousin. With humour and restrained emotion, the author portrays the dual sense of belonging of someone who grew up between two worlds: “too Portuguese to be American, too American to be Portuguese.” The islands are present in her daily life in unexpected and touching ways. The New York – Azores – New York Prize was awarded to Kelsey D’Andrade Almerico, from Tacoma, Washington State. Kelsey grew up as part of a “microscopic diaspora of Portuguese descent” comprising just three people, with no community clubs and no celebrations, but with a surname that had always connected her to something greater. Her intimate and reflective writing chronicles the journey she made in 2018 to Terceira Island, the land of her ancestors, and the moving discovery of roots she had only known through family stories. Throughout the text, the story emerges from one of her ancestors, who crossed the Atlantic and founded the first Portuguese language department at an American educational institution. Entries for the “I Love Azores” competition were submitted between February 1 and April 30, 2026, by Azorean descendants aged between 18 and 40. They consisted of an original text in English, no longer than one A4 page, describing their connection to the Azores, and were required to include references to the “Autonomous Region of the Azores,” “Azorean Communities,” and “SATA”. The results are now being announced as part of Azores Day celebrations. The “I Love Azores” competition reiterates the commitment of the Regional Government and SATA Group to promoting Azorean identity among younger generations in the diaspora. The winners will receive a round-trip ticket to the Azores as a prize, allowing them to further deepen their connection with the archipelago and experience first-hand the current reality of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
Nota de Imprensa
May 20, 2026
Paulo Estêvão chaired signing of strategic agreement between EMA-Space and Azores Maritime School
The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, chaired today the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Azores Mission Structure for Space (EMA-Espaço) and the Association for the Development and Training of the Azores Sea (ADFMA), the entity responsible for managing the Azores Maritime School. The Regional Secretary for the Sea and Fisheries, Mário Rui Pinho, was also present at the session. The agreement aims to promote structural synergies between the space and maritime sectors, establishing the Autonomous Region of the Azores as an integrated Atlantic ecosystem for technological innovation. According to Paulo Estêvão, who is responsible for the space sector within the Azorean Government, the joining of forces between both entities enhances the Region’s geostrategic value. Reiterating the importance of the regional commitment, Paulo Estêvão pointed out “the strategic advantages that come with the creation of a space ecosystem in the Azores. He pointed out that this will highlight the importance of the archipelago, which was already, from a maritime standpoint, very important, and which is now being reinforced in a new sector as important as space.” One of the key priorities of the agreement now signed is the functional expansion of the future Azores Technology Free Zone (ZLT) to the island of Santa Maria. The Azores Maritime School will actively collaborate in boosting the maritime component of this infrastructure, creating operational conditions for conducting technological trials, ocean-space testbeds, demonstrations of technologies applied to both sectors, and other relevant activities. The partnership also focuses on technical and operational capacity building, promoting training initiatives that apply space technology to the blue economy. Key training areas include Earth observation, satellite navigation, use of drones and autonomous systems, maritime surveillance, environmental monitoring and digital mapping. In terms of research and innovation, the document provides for the development of direct applications for sustainability and the ocean economy. The collaboration aims to leverage the use of spatial data for coastal and ocean monitoring, marine pollution detection, fisheries and aquaculture support, smart port management, ocean-climate observation, creation of digital twins of the ocean, civil protection and natural hazard monitoring, as well as maritime spatial planning and management. EMA-Space remains responsible for the strategic coordination and framework of the space dimension, whilst ADFMA ensures operationalisation, capacity building and the application of technology to the maritime sector. For ADFMA, as represented by the President of the Board of Directors, Ana Rodrigues, this partnership represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen the institution’s role in innovation within the maritime sector. “Establishing this partnership enables us to integrate cutting-edge knowledge and technology in the maritime sector, reinforcing our mission to train highly qualified professionals who are prepared for the emerging challenges of the blue economy,” she emphasised. With this joint initiative, the Regional Government is establishing the archipelago as a centre of excellence and an international benchmark in the convergence of space and the ocean.
May 20, 2026
Paulo Estêvão chaired signing of strategic agreement between EMA-Space and Azores Maritime School
The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, chaired today the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Azores Mission Structure for Space (EMA-Espaço) and the Association for the Development and Training of the Azores Sea (ADFMA), the entity responsible for managing the Azores Maritime School. The Regional Secretary for the Sea and Fisheries, Mário Rui Pinho, was also present at the session. The agreement aims to promote structural synergies between the space and maritime sectors, establishing the Autonomous Region of the Azores as an integrated Atlantic ecosystem for technological innovation. According to Paulo Estêvão, who is responsible for the space sector within the Azorean Government, the joining of forces between both entities enhances the Region’s geostrategic value. Reiterating the importance of the regional commitment, Paulo Estêvão pointed out “the strategic advantages that come with the creation of a space ecosystem in the Azores. He pointed out that this will highlight the importance of the archipelago, which was already, from a maritime standpoint, very important, and which is now being reinforced in a new sector as important as space.” One of the key priorities of the agreement now signed is the functional expansion of the future Azores Technology Free Zone (ZLT) to the island of Santa Maria. The Azores Maritime School will actively collaborate in boosting the maritime component of this infrastructure, creating operational conditions for conducting technological trials, ocean-space testbeds, demonstrations of technologies applied to both sectors, and other relevant activities. The partnership also focuses on technical and operational capacity building, promoting training initiatives that apply space technology to the blue economy. Key training areas include Earth observation, satellite navigation, use of drones and autonomous systems, maritime surveillance, environmental monitoring and digital mapping. In terms of research and innovation, the document provides for the development of direct applications for sustainability and the ocean economy. The collaboration aims to leverage the use of spatial data for coastal and ocean monitoring, marine pollution detection, fisheries and aquaculture support, smart port management, ocean-climate observation, creation of digital twins of the ocean, civil protection and natural hazard monitoring, as well as maritime spatial planning and management. EMA-Space remains responsible for the strategic coordination and framework of the space dimension, whilst ADFMA ensures operationalisation, capacity building and the application of technology to the maritime sector. For ADFMA, as represented by the President of the Board of Directors, Ana Rodrigues, this partnership represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen the institution’s role in innovation within the maritime sector. “Establishing this partnership enables us to integrate cutting-edge knowledge and technology in the maritime sector, reinforcing our mission to train highly qualified professionals who are prepared for the emerging challenges of the blue economy,” she emphasised. With this joint initiative, the Regional Government is establishing the archipelago as a centre of excellence and an international benchmark in the convergence of space and the ocean.
