Synergies between Regional Government and AICEP are fundamental for internationalisation of Azorean companies, highlightss Artur Lima - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-President of the Regional Government, Artur Lima, chaired today the closing ceremony of the "AICEP on the Road" initiative at the Angra do Heroísmo Cultural and Conference Centre.

The event aimed to showcase the tools and services made available by the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP) to support regional companies in their internationalisation and investment attraction processes.

Artur Lima stressed the cooperation between the Regional Government and AICEP as "vital because this synergy can result in coordinated actions that promote not only the attraction of capital but also the consolidation of the local economy."

"Today, the Azores have favourable conditions that make them attractive to the business sector, namely reduced VAT and corporate income tax rates compared to Mainland Portugal," he added.

"I would also like to point out that the potential of the Azores also comes from its multiple dimensions, which include not only land and sea but also air, the deep sea and space," he said.

The Region's science and technology parks, TERINOV and NONAGON, which play an important role in deepening the link between science and business, were also the focus of the Vice-President's speech.

"The ecosystems established in these two parks are marked by a knowledge-based approach. They are structural in information and communication technologies, which can lead to the establishment of companies in the Region and contribute to their affirmation in foreign markets," he said.

AICEP Global Parques, a subsidiary of AICEP, also presented its activities, mainly centred on promoting business areas and boosting their investment capacity.

At the meeting, two local companies were honoured, Boa Fruta and Slicedays-Hotelaria, which stood out according to the "High Growth Firm" concept, commonly used in the European Union context.

Redcatpig, a video game company based in TERINOV and digitally present in more than 120 countries, also received an honourable mention. 

The distinguished companies had the opportunity to talk about their experiences and challenges in their internationalisation processes, in a round table discussion moderated by the director of "Diário Insular" newspaper, José Lourenço.

The "AICEP on the Road" initiative made its first stop in Angra do Heroísmo, travelling to other regions of the country to discuss the trends and challenges of international trade, adapted to the reality of each region.

AICEP is the public organisation responsible for attracting investment and internationalising the Portuguese economy, fostering the number of exports and the international expansion of companies.