UAlg TEC Campus “is the best example of the application of European funds”

UAlg TEC Campus - Aceleradora de Empresas "is the best example of the application of European funds" guaranteed Ana Abrunhosa, Minister of Territorial Cohesion, in the ceremony to start the construction of this project, which took place on 16 December, at 10:30 am, at Penha Campus of the University of Algarve.

The main objective of UAlg Tec Campus is to stimulate and expand the technological ecosystem of the region, nationally and internationally, to the areas of information technology, driving a favourable change in the economy and regional and national society. It is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union, through the Algarve Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020 (CRESC ALGARVE 2020).

The global investment value of the Technological Hub, which includes the UAlg TEC Campus and UAlg TEC Health, is 6,645,515.42 euros, with ERDF co-financing of 4,651,860.79 euros and self-financing of 1,993,654.63 euros.

On the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the Algarve Academy, Ana Abrunhosa pointed out the extraordinary change that the University symbolises for the development of the Algarve. She highlighted the remarkable number of applications from new students in the current academic year, the quality of the research at their centres and their internationalisation.

Ana Abrunhosa also referred to “the great responsibility” and the “important role” that UAlg will have in the process of change that we want for the Algarve, the region that is most suffering from the pandemic.

Referring to European funds and the additional €300 million in funding for this region, the minister considers that a very important amount will be channeled to UAlg, “which will give it a much greater responsibility in the structural transformation of the region”, in a process that is expected to be long and difficult due to the pandemic crisis.

For the Rector of UAlg, Paulo Águas, this will be a decisive project for the development of the University and with a strong impact on the regional economy, contributing to its much-needed diversification. Regarding the future, Paulo Águas asserts that when the work is finished, nothing will be as before. “Campus life, for a start. The flexibility of the project, in terms of architectural solution, may allow more than 300 people to work on the Algarve TEC Campus, the overwhelming majority of whom, if not all, with higher education.” But, for the rector, “the main benefit for the University will be the interaction, which must be established with companies, whether in educational projects or in research projects”.  In this way, “the Algarve TEC Campus will contribute to the creation of wealth, to the increase of qualified employment, to the diversification of the regional economic fabric, to pedagogical innovation and to the creation of knowledge”.

In the current community framework, which is approaching the end, the highest-placed representative of the Algarve Academy, considers that UAlg has been heavily penalised compared to other HEIs in the North, Centre and Alentejo regions. "You only need to compare the "weight" of Community funding in the respective budgets".

Paulo Águas argues that the Algarve needs more funding for science and technology transfer, concluding: count on us for execution”.