"Europe needs to decentralise to create new hubs," advocates José Manuel Bolieiro - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, defended today that the European Union should bolster its Atlantic dimension and decentralise its strategic vision to create “new hubs” that will strengthen its competitiveness, resilience and geopolitical relevance.

The speech was delivered at the opening session of the IX New Space Atlantic Summit, an annual conference organised by the Portuguese Space Agency, held at the Técnico Innovation Center in Lisbon.

Under the theme "The Architecture of Power: Geopolitics in the Second Era of Space Exploration," the 2026 edition brings together national and international figures from industry, academia and the public sector to discuss the new paradigms of sovereignty, cooperation and security in the space domain, at a time when the space sector is establishing itself as a pillar of Europe’s socio-economic development and resilience.

The head of the Azorean Government maintained that “Europe will have a brighter future if it views itself as an Atlantic Europe,” defending that the Atlantic represents a strategic asset for establishing Europe’s position in geopolitical, geo-economic, scientific and technological terms.

"Europe needs to harness opportunities by turning towards the Atlantic," stated the President of the Government. In this regard, he emphasised that it is precisely in this geographical area that new development opportunities linked to the knowledge economy, scientific research, technological innovation and the economies of the future are to be found.

The head of the Azorean Government reiterated his vision of transforming the Azores “from a region of needs into a region of opportunities,” believing that this generation is perfectly capable of leading that change.

As he explained, this transformation involves the “full development of the Azorean territory,” not only in its terrestrial dimension but also in its maritime, oceanic and spatial dimensions. Science, technology and research must be harnessed to ensure the sustainable use of resources and the creation of new economic opportunities.

José Manuel Bolieiro also highlighted the need for the European Union to update its strategic vision,  noting that it remains overly focused on its eastern land borders and outdated economic models.