At the closing session of the Month of Economy, held at the Paço dos Duques de Bragança, Ricardo Araújo highlighted the challenges facing Guimarães' economy, such as the need to increase productivity and salaries, despite strong export capacity and industrial tradition. He stressed the importance of coordination between companies, the University of Minho, and research centers to incorporate innovation and move up the value chain.
The mayor also mentioned the revision of the Municipal Master Plan, which allocates more land for economic activities, and the work to create a specialized municipal structure for economic development and investment attraction. He advocated for the creation of a fund to leverage businesses and startups, and the importance of inter-municipal cooperation, particularly through the future Minho Metropolitan Area.
In the same session, Álvaro Santos, president of the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission, emphasized that a decentralized economy requires cooperation and the leveraging of complementarities, measuring innovation's success by its ability to improve people's lives.
The event also included the presentation of finalists and the awards ceremony for Hack4Guimarães 2035, with the project «Novelo» winning the general competition and the TextVitrus challenge for its proposal on textile waste valorization.
In the evening, a dinner-debate at MIT Penha addressed the relationship between Portugal and Finland in defense and innovation, featuring Ricardo Araújo, Finnish Ambassador Christian Lindholm, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Sérgio da Costa Pereira. The debate, moderated by Ana Marcela, editor at ECO, highlighted the economic opportunities generated by investment in the defense sector and the need to diversify Guimarães' business base.
The closing of Guimarães' Month of Economy also included the Fibrenamics Ignite Sessions 2026, focusing on the potential of industrial innovation and dual-use technologies. The final synthesis, by Ricardo Araújo, emphasized the importance of action and execution to continue the work developed.
