On the 23rd and 24th of October, the Alentejo region hosted the 4th Meeting of the COMPETE 2030 Monitoring Committee. This meeting sought to strengthen dialogue and collaboration, boosting the development of initiatives co-financed by the Programme.
On the 23rd and 24th of October, the Alentejo region hosted the 4th Meeting of the COMPETE 2030 Monitoring Committee, an event attended by around 70 participants, including members, Programme managers and other guests.
It was an intense two days full of enriching activities, in a meeting that sought to strengthen dialogue and collaboration, promoting initiatives co-financed by the Programme and sharing up-to-date information on the implementation of COMPETE 2030.
The event highlighted progress in the field of innovation and the digital transition, while also providing an ‘in loco’ view of the investments made with European funds.
Operations in the spotlight and debate sessions
The first day of activities began in Estremoz with the presentation of the operation of the João Portugal Ramos wine company. Supported by COMPETE 2020, it aimed to increase turnover by launching two new products and expanding internationally to markets such as Angola, Asia, Colombia and the United States. João Maria Portugal Ramos, representative of this family winery, led the tour of the space, where it was possible to observe the integration of modern production technologies and Portuguese winemaking tradition.
This was also an opportunity to promote conversation and debate among the participants. Nuno Mangas and Luís Castilho, respectively Chairman and Member of the Board of COMPETE 2030, opened the session dedicated to reflecting on the role of the Monitoring Committee, emphasising the importance of the active participation of its members for the success of the Programme.
In a relaxed atmosphere, working groups were formed to carry out an exercise with the aim of suggesting improvements and optimising the dynamics of the meetings. Among the proposals put forward were new ways of increasing the visibility of co-financed operations, holding ‘open days’ and organising themed meetings attended by committee members.
“COMPETalk”
The winery’s dining room hosted ‘COMPETalk’, an opportunity for guests to learn more about regional operations in the Alentejo which, with the support of COMPETE, are transforming the local and international economy. The debate was moderated by Maria José Caçador and Margarida Pinto, COMPETE 2030’s technical secretaries, who spoke to COMPETE 2020 beneficiaries to present inspiring examples in the field of innovation and economic development in this region.
António Candeias, Professor at the University of Évora and head of the ‘HERCULES’ laboratory, shared information about this research centre with a multidisciplinary team and advanced technology that carries out innovative analyses and develops conservation techniques contributing to the socio-economic enhancement of heritage, having already registered 8 patents. The laboratory was recently classified as ‘Excellent’ by the Foundation for Science and Technology and is considered a national and European benchmark in the field.
Paula Paulino, President of NERE, the Évora Region Business Centre, spoke about the Training-Action for SMEs ‘Nere Qualifica 2020’, which aimed to boost 57 SMEs in the Alentejo region. Through personalised training and consultancy, 3980 companies and more than 19,000 workers were supported, strengthening the skills and increasing the competitiveness of companies in the region.
Benvinda Catarino, AIP’s Director for Training and Business Development, emphasised the results of the work carried out by NERE and other entities in training-action, indicating future objectives, namely awareness-raising actions for companies in urgent areas such as the digital transition, data science and artificial intelligence.
Monitoring Committee meeting to take stock of the situation and future prospects
The Vila Galé Hotel in Elvas hosted the main event. The transition from COMPETE 2020 to COMPETE 2030 was one of the main points of discussion, emphasising the programme’s importance in supporting business development and the country’s economic recovery.
Nuno Mangas began the session with an assessment of the implementation of COMPETE 2020, highlighting the high degree of compliance with the objectives, especially in strengthening innovation and responding to the challenges posed by the pandemic, through the REACT-EU programme. COMPETE 2020 received a total of 119,747 applications, of which 104,629 were approved, resulting in an execution rate of 107.1%.
The Innovation and Digital Transition Programme – COMPETE 2030 – stood out with the receipt of 3,808 applications and an approved incentive of 426 million euros.
Luís Castilho mentioned the new measure to publicise approved operations in national and regional newspapers, with the aim of ensuring greater transparency and publicising local operations closer to citizens.
In addition to other relevant issues, such as the ‘Operations of Strategic Importance’, the ‘Evaluation Plan’ and the ‘National Research and Innovation Strategy’, he highlighted the progress already made with innovation in various areas. This was also the space for the presentation of COMPETE 2030’s communication initiatives, such as training and information events and the recent update of the annual call plan page, which through the new functionalities implemented makes the search process more effective, facilitating the identification of investment opportunities for companies.
Committee celebrates achievements and national innovation
During the meeting, different examples of the success and impact of support from European funds were presented.
Participants were able to watch a video summarising ECOGRES 4.0, an innovative operation in the ceramics sector that combines innovation with sustainability, creating stoneware pastes with more than 95% waste from other industries. Promoted by Grestel S.A. and the University of Aveiro, it was the only Portuguese finalist in the ‘Green Europe’ category in the 2024 edition of the REGIOSTARS awards.
Porfírio Perdigão, Director of Operations for Vila Galé Hotels in the Alentejo, also explained the operation of the Vila Galé Elvas Hotel, which enabled the former Convent and Church of São Paulo to be restored and transformed into a 4-star facility.
Co-financed by COMPETE 2020, it stands out for its use of sustainable technologies, which not only promote the growth of tourism in the region, but also help to preserve cultural heritage.
Cofinanciada pelo COMPETE 2020, distingue-se pelo uso de tecnologias sustentáveis, que não só promovem o crescimento do turismo na região, mas também ajudam na preservação do património cultural.
Sustainable innovation marks the end of the event
At the end of the Monitoring Committee, the members and guests took part in a visit to the Nova Delta factory in Campo Maior, where they learnt about BIOCAP. Presented by João Nunes, Industrial Director, and Cristina Gaspar, Head of Occupational Health and Safety, this operation, supported by COMPETE 2020, made it possible to modernise the factory with advanced technology for the production of new biodegradable coffee capsules.
The development of the capsules involved four years of research, with around 300 trials, aimed at replacing plastic with sustainable biopolymers, thus creating more sustainable and environmentally responsible production processes.
The 4th Meeting of the COMPETE 2030 Monitoring Committee emphasised the role of this monitoring instrument as essential for exchanging knowledge and promoting good practices in the management of EU funds.
The meeting addressed various strategic themes of the new 2030 programme such as innovation, the digital transition and sustainability, as well as strengthening collaboration between the Managing Authority, intermediary entities and the business sector, encouraging integrated administration that aligns regional and sectoral interests and helps transform Portugal into an innovative and competitive ecosystem.
For more information, you can consult the general presentation given at the Monitoring Committee.
With the results achieved, BOW 2023-2024 demonstrates the importance of collaborative initiatives to prepare Portuguese SMEs for the challenges of internationalisation.
Nelson Ferreira, innovation project coordinator, shared the vision behind the Augmanity project and the impact of new technologies on factories.
The ‘House of the Future’ project, promoted by HAVLAR and co-financed by COMPETE 2030, introduces innovative turnkey construction solutions with 3D printing, aiming for speed, accessibility and sustainability in the housing sector in Portugal.