The event, held on October 28 at the National Railway Museum, was the second in a series preparing the region's positioning for the next European financial framework, focusing on the Intermunicipal Communities of Médio Tejo, Lezíria do Tejo, and Oeste. The session was attended by mayors, businesses, higher education institutions, the scientific community, and public and associative entities.
The President of CCDR LVT, Teresa Almeida, highlighted the significance of the 2024 reclassification, allowing Oeste, Lezíria do Tejo, and Médio Tejo to jointly prepare a European financial framework, integrated into the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo Region. She emphasized that the ability to convert funds into convergence will depend on project maturity and coordination among the three Intermunicipal Communities.
The presented diagnosis shows a territory with population growth (6.2% between 2021-2025, reaching 865,000 inhabitants) and GDP increase (31.2% in nominal terms between 2021-2024), but with GDP per capita (65% of the EU average in 2024) still below 2000 levels. R&D expenditure accounts for about 0.9% of the regional GDP.
The President of CCDR LVT also mentioned strategic investments such as the new Luís de Camões Airport, the high-speed Porto–Lisbon–Madrid line, the modernization of the Linha do Oeste, and the railway hub in Entroncamento, which could reconfigure the region's economic geography. This growth will be guided by the new PROT for Lisbon, Oeste, and Vale do Tejo (PROT LOVT), to be presented in 2027.
The debate covered four thematic axes: sustainable industrial production, circular economy and innovation; water security, climate adaptation and energy transition; polycentric urban network, housing and population retention; and sustainable tourism, cultural heritage and territorial identity. The New Mobilizing Agendas were proposed as instruments for economic development.
Contributions gathered from stakeholders and entities in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo Region will be presented in a future major regional event.
