The meeting, held last Friday in the Noble Hall of the Barcelos Municipal Chamber, brought together the mayors of Guimarães, Barcelos, Vila Nova de Famalicão, and Viana do Castelo, with the presence of a representative from the Municipality of Braga and the Secretary of State for Local Administration, Silvério Regalado. Representatives from COMPETE 2030, IAPMEI, AICEP, the Directorate-General for Economy, and entrepreneurs from the textile, clothing, and footwear sectors also participated.
The main objective of the meeting was to identify the constraints affecting these industries, which have a significant impact on the Minho region's economy, and to discuss strategies for enhancing business competitiveness. Topics covered included production and energy costs, international competition, consumption retraction, innovation, technological modernization, and access to financing instruments, particularly within the scope of Portugal 2030.
This initiative aimed to bring the business community closer to public entities responsible for defining and implementing economic policies, fostering dialogue and the identification of solutions to support industrial modernization, the promotion of national production, and employment sustainability.
Guimarães' participation reinforces the role of the Pentágono Urbano as a cooperation platform among the five municipalities, defending the region's economic interests and seeking joint responses to the challenges faced by the business sector.
