Azores are “hub for knowledge, innovation and economic planning for the future,” stresses Artur Lima - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-President of the Regional Government, Artur Lima, highlighted the Azores’ potential to be “a hub for knowledge, innovation and the economic planning for the future” during the “33rd Annual Global Finance Conference.”

For the Vice-President, hosting this forum in the Region “confirms that very potential.”

“The Azores have always been a meeting point, a platform linking continents. The Azores are not merely an archipelago of unrivalled natural beauty. We are an Outermost Region of Europe that has chosen to regard its geography not as a factor of isolation, but as a unique Atlantic hub,” he emphasised.

Artur Lima addressed the highly complex challenges facing the global economy, ranging from the digital transition and climate emergencies to the reconfiguration of value chains and the need to ensure global financial stability.

These transformations “require more than short-term responses. They require long-term vision and a deep understanding of the mechanisms that drive human progress,” he asserted.

The government official highlighted the presence of Professor Joel Mokyr, winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics, and his pioneering contribution to the history of technological innovation and the origins of the modern economy.

“It is an honour to have him here. His pioneering work reminds us of a fundamental truth: sustainable economic growth does not happen by chance. Rather, it is the result of knowledge, shared institutions and our ability to transform ideas into social progress,” he emphasised.

The Vice-President of the Government also expressed his expectations that the forum will be both an opportunity “to share knowledge and create solutions that will shape the public policies of tomorrow, and to experience the culture and hospitality of the Azorean people.”

The “33rd Annual Global Finance Conference” is taking place until today at the University of the Azores, bringing together internationally renowned researchers and experts to discuss the main challenges facing the global economy and finance. This year’s event is being held in the Azores for the first time and will be attended by Professor Joel Mokyr.