"The country has to be more like the North and has to look at the exceptional work that many municipalities in this region, as is the case of Vila Nova de Famalicão, have done in the area of entrepreneurship, competitiveness and innovation." The conviction is from the Economy professor of the University of Minho, Fernando Alexandre, one of the guest speakers of the 4th Economic Forum of Famalicão that yesterday filled the large auditorium of Casa das Artes.
The professor was speaking at the presentation of the study "Do Made IN ao Created IN", from the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, which not only produces an accurate diagnosis of the Portuguese economy in the last decades, but also points out a future for the country and its economy. This future, argues the economist, should be based on the creation of conditions for the transition from a made in to a created in paradigm, based on knowledge and qualifications, and where innovation occupies a central place in the process of wealth creation.
Fernando Alexandre was speaking after the initial interventions that marked the start of the joint initiative of Jornal de Notícias, TSF and Vila Nova de Famalicão Municipality.
Opening the event, the mayor of the municipality, Mário Passos, praised the strong dynamics of the municipality and the "enormous contribution" that the Made IN project and the economic agents of the municipality have given to this purpose, but he added, "now is the time to give a new impulse".
"We are, increasingly, making the transition from a producing municipality to a municipality that is also a creator. Creator of added value, both in terms of products and processes, and in terms of human resource qualification (...) We are proud of the contribution we make to the national economy, but we also want to be an agent of change. For more value, for a new productive and industrial paradigm, more friendly to people and the environment", said the mayor.
The initiative also brought together entrepreneurs Raquel Vieira de Castro and João Koehler, the director of CITEVE, Braz Costa, and the president of the José Neves Foundation, Carlos Oliveira.
The 4th Famalicão Economic Forum ended with a statement by the Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa, who pointed out the municipality of Famalicão as a good example in capturing Community funds.
For the Minister, the time has come to look to the future and to define strategies capable of responding to such important challenges as digitalisation, energy transition and decarbonisation.
Ana Abrunhosa also praised the importance of networking. "The life of companies is much easier if they are part of an innovative ecosystem and if they have a friendly environment for investment, innovation and competitiveness".