Applications for Portugal 2020 funds have already opened, and the Secretary of State for Regional Development believes that “2015 will be the biggest year ever in the injection of European funding in Portugal”. Manuel Castro Almeida spoke to members of the Sanjotec community, after visiting the works of Building II, showing that “businessmen have already realized that we cannot increase competitiveness with low wages, but with innovative and value-added products”, pointing the way for this: “[companies] need to connect and interconnect with universities and SCTN entities”. “We are in the hands of anyone who can bring knowledge to our companies. Only then will we be competitive, ”he said.

The Secretary of State for Regional Development also took the opportunity to clarify the role of companies' R&D centers. On this, the official stated that “the creation of R&D centers in companies does not have the primary objective that companies carry out internal R&D activities, but rather so that they can have qualified human resources that can identify and outline the company's R&D strategy, and knowing how to choose who can be the company's partners for that ”.

Since last week, Fibrenamics has had a space at Sanjotec, and has already participated in activities of that entrepreneurial ecosystem.