Negócios

Braga is hosting the Sustainability and Innovation Conference, an event that aims to consolidate the city as a centre for innovation and sustainable development. Ricardo Rio has highlighted the importance of promoting an ecosystem favourable for entrepreneurship and technology in the region.

Braga wants to establish itself as a hub for innovation and sustainability, with an impact at the national and international level, according to Ricardo Rio, mayor of Braga, the city that will host the Sustainability and Innovation Conference this Thursday, an event organized by InvestBraga. “I believe that Braga has all the conditions in place to position itself as an example for innovative and sustainable urban practices, and so inspire other cities to follow our path. With our characteristics and our potential, we can and must lead by example,” said the mayor and chairperson of the Board of Directors of InvestBraga.

He emphasized that such a commitment involves boosting the region’s economic development, promoting entrepreneurship and attracting strategic investments, especially in the areas of technology and innovation. “We want to build an ecosystem in Braga that is favourable to investment, where new ideas and technology-based businesses find a dynamic and competitive environment in which to grow.” The event will include two panel discussions. The first, on the theme of Sustainability, will feature António Vicente, from Blue Project, and Carolina Almeida Cruz, from C-More.

The second panel will focus on innovation, with contributions from Susana Mata, (Accenture Portugal), José Teixeira (dst group) and Sandra Cerqueira (TUB).

For Ricardo Rio, this conference is very much in keeping with the economic and sustainable development initiatives that have been implemented in Braga. “This is an opportunity to consolidate our commitment to making the city a benchmark in these fields, through promoting a dialogue between experts, entrepreneurs and the local community.”

Through InvestBraga, Ricardo Rio considers that it will be possible to attract and support investments that contribute to a more sustainable future, both environmentally and economically. “The conference will make it possible to highlight local projects and initiatives that are already making a difference, as well as establish collaborations that will boost new opportunities for sustainable growth in Braga. This is an essential platform for us to consolidate Braga as a centre of innovation and sustainability at the national and the international level, bringing new ideas that can enrich our own policies and practices.” 

Green economy as a priority

The transition to a green economy is also a priority for the mayor, and they are implementing various actions that will promote sustainable practices in local companies and transform Braga into a greener place. “We want the city to offer an example in the transition to a low-carbon economy, and we are encouraging the private sector to adopt increasingly sustainable practices.”

Also in the public sector, the mayor has emphasized investments in technological initiatives to make services more accessible and efficient, always, he ensured, with a focus on improving the quality of life of its citizens. “I believe that technology has a fundamental role to play in building smart cities that are better connected and able to respond to the needs of their inhabitants.”

The start-up ecosystem has not been forgotten. Through InvestBraga and its innovation hub, Startup Braga, Ricardo Rio stated that specific policies and programs have been created aimed at training entrepreneurs and creating and developing new companies, particularly in areas such as digital technologies, health technologies, biotechnology, nanotechnology and sustainability. “We want Braga to be a city where entrepreneurs feel supported and where startups can find the ideal conditions to thrive.”

Another major commitment listed by the mayor is the internationalization of Braga. “We have achieved prominence on the international stage, but we wish to go further, through establishing collaborations with other cities and Institutions that will help us position Braga as a benchmark for innovation and sustainability.” With partnerships and the sharing of best practices, Ricardo Rio believes that the region can gain even more visibility outside Portugal.

Obviously, there are challenges to be faced. In order for Braga to become a benchmark, Ricardo Rio emphasized the need to continue investing in infrastructure and policies that promote inclusion, sustainable development and quality of life for the people of Braga. “In the coming years, my goal is to ensure that Braga continues to evolve in a balanced way, bring together innovation, sustainability and a strong commitment to the well-being of our community.”

The challenges for the Northern region

The mayor admitted that the Northern region faces considerable challenges in implementing sustainable innovation practices, especially in traditional sectors such as agriculture and industry, which represent important pillars for the local economy. One of the main challenges listed is the transformation of production methods and processes to reduce environmental impact without compromising competitiveness. “In traditional sectors, many companies still operate with methods that, although efficient from a production point of view, have not been technologically updated and are more intensive in terms of resource consumption and waste generation.”

Another crucial challenge mentioned by Ricardo Rio is the need for funding and technical support for this sustainable transition. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which predominate in the region, often have limited resources to invest in technological solutions and sustainable practices that involve higher initial costs. “These companies also face challenges in adopting new technologies that require specific qualifications and training, which are often scarce or difficult to access.” In agriculture, for example, the mayor stated that it is vital to find a balance between innovative methods and the preservation of traditional practices that play a significant role in rural communities and local biodiversity. “Implementing sustainable practices also requires a cultural change, where farmers and producers feel motivated and encouraged to invest in solutions such as precision agriculture, smart irrigation systems and crop rotation techniques that preserve soils and optimize resources.”

What is more, he stated, the region’s own infrastructure and logistics do not always make it easy to adopt more sustainable practices. “The optimization of supply chains and the development of infrastructures that support the use of renewable energies and sustainable transport are also necessary to accelerate change.”

For the mayor, therefore, supporting innovation in these sectors implies a joint effort by all stakeholders, from the Government and local councils to companies and education and training institutions. “It is essential to create a collaborative ecosystem that can facilitate access to resources and promote capacity building for more sustainable practices, aligning economic growth with environmental preservation and the quality of life of local communities.”

Incentives give rise to clusters

Ricardo Rio has no doubt that public policies are playing an essential role in creating an innovation ecosystem in the Northern Region, actively encouraging collaboration between universities, companies and decision-makers. Through financial incentives, research and development (R&D) support programs, or instruments aimed at creating new technological infrastructures that favor robust institutional set-ups, the aim, as the mayor described it, is to build a solid network where knowledge transfer and the co-promotion of innovation lie at the heart of activities. “Specific funding programs are being implemented, such as European and national funds, which directly support collaborative projects between educational institutions and companies.” These funds, he explains, enable universities to carry out applied research in partnership with the private sector, geared towards creating technological and sustainable solutions. “This financial support is essential, as it covers research and development costs that many companies, especially SMEs, would not be able to bear on their own.”

In addition, Ricardo Rio emphasized that municipalities such as Braga and entities such as InvestBraga have been creating incubation spaces and accelerators that bring together companies and researchers within the same working environment, fostering the exchange of ideas and the creation of synergies.

Another important aspect is support for the development of industrial and technological clusters. According to the mayor, incentives make it possible to create sectoral clusters - such as biotechnology, agro-industry or information technology - which facilitate close collaboration between companies in the same area along with universities to develop innovative products and services.

INNOVATIONS AND SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS

There are several innovative proposals in different areas, noteworthy being the investment in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), 76 kilometres of cycle paths and information and communication technologies. According to Ricardo Rio, the mayor of Braga, this is a new vision of the future for Braga, with new priorities for urban regeneration, which is essential for the city’s transformation. “We need to reinvent the city by taking advantage of its inexhaustible heritage and through global and integrated interventions that provide a new experience in terms of the quality of life for the city’s users,” he explained to Negócio, adding that the region is attracting companies that can settle there and take advantage of its endogenous potential, particularly the considerable accumulation of knowledge that stems from the fact that Braga is home to three higher educational institutions.

“The challenge is to balance a technologically advanced economy that is compatible with environmental, social, economic and cultural factors.” It should be noted that InvestBraga has been monitoring approximately 550 million euros in more than 300 investment projects, some of which “complement the municipality’s vision for the creation of a Smart City.” Braga has a Strategic Plan for Economic Development which, according to the mayor, “provides for the knowledge produced at the Universities and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) to be connected to various cutting-edge technology and innovation organizations.”