Last Tuesday, the Prime Minister visited Solancis, a company that is leading the mobilizing agenda for the natural stone sector. António Costa took advantage of the visit to announce that the municipality of Alcobaça has 538 projects approved under the PR, with an associated investment of 45 million euros, of which 39 million for companies. The minister considered that the “example” of Alcobaça should be replicated in other municipalities.
The municipality of Alcobaça has 578 projects approved under the PRR, with an investment of 45 million euros, 39 million of which for companies, announced last Tuesday, the Prime Minister, António Costa, in Solancis, a company based in the parish of Benedita, which leads the mobilizing agenda of the stone sector, which brings together more than fifty partners. “The vast majority of projects approved in the municipality of Alcobaça are from families within the scope of energy efficiency programmes, there are investments from the State – in the Alcobaça Monastery -, there are investments from IPSS in the electrification of vehicles for home support, but the bulk of the 45 million euros of investment already approved within the scope of the PRR for the municipality of Alcobaça is directed towards companies, in support of job creation, in innovation programmes and in forest sustainability programmes, through the valorisation of resins”, said the minister, who was accompanied in the municipality of Alcobaça by the Deputy Minister and Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes. “The example of the municipality of Alcobaça can be replicated in other municipalities”, considered António Costa, highlighting Alcobaça and the Leiria region as “one of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial in the country”. The stone sector’s mobilizing agenda involves an investment of over 55 million euros and an incentive of over 32 million euros. “We are committed to increasing added value by 8%, productivity by 5%, exports by 15%, creating six disruptive innovation systems, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, growing renewable energy and by-products and creating over 200 direct jobs”, said Samuel Delgado, CEO of the company leading this consortium. “This mobilizing agenda represents a commitment to the sector and to the Portuguese economy”, noted the businessman, confessing that he never thought that “the sector would have the capacity to undertake a project of this size”.
On February 7th, the Instituto Superior de Gestão was present at the meeting of entities promoting the Sustainable Stone by Portugal project, which was attended by the distinguished Prime Minister of Portugal, Dr. António Costa. The Director of the ISG, Professor Miguel Varela, and the ISG Professor and Researcher, Professor Agostinho da Silva, were representing our institution. The Sustainable Stone by Portugal – Mobilizing Agenda promoted by the Mineral Resources Cluster involves 50 entities and is led by Solancis, from Alcobaça. The valorization of natural stone for a digital, sustainable and qualified future is the name of the Mobilizing Agenda promoted by the Mineral Resources Cluster, with a planned investment of 53.8 million euros. Supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan, its main objective is to “enhance the relevant mobilizing and aggregating work that has been carried out in the context of the natural stone sector, for the creation of a new generation of highly disruptive and innovative products and production processes.” The project is estimated to last 36 months, with a start date scheduled for January 2024 and an end date of December 31 of the same year. The ISG belongs to 13 of the 50 entities involved in the scientific and technological system, universities and polytechnics.
We would like to thank everyone who attended our International Symposium, “New Construction with Stones”! It was an amazing event, with 117 people on-site and 300 tuning in online. Universidade da Beira Interior – UBI, in collaboration with ACPMR – Associação Cluster Portugal Mineral Resources co-organized the symposium. Covilhã Município joined us in the opening session. We also want to extend our thanks to our amazing keynote speakers Addrienn Tomor from The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, Pierre Bideaud from The Stonemasonry Company Limited and Giuseppe Fallacara Chirico from the Politecnico di Bari. The Symposium was made possible by the support of our partners, including Universidade de Évora, Fravizel, Solancis SA, CEI – Companhia de Equipmentos Industriais, Lda., Granitos Cunha, Assimagra – Recursos Minerais de Portugal and Município de Pinhel. The event was part of the INOVC + project, which was co-financed by Portugal 2020, Centro 2020 and Regional Development. We are also grateful for the funding support of FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. And a special thanks to the Covilhā Museus, which provided us with a guided tour of the historic centre of Covilha. Thank you all for your participation and support!
On the 7th, Prime Minister António Costa visited the company Solancis, in Benedita, leader of the Green Agenda of the Natural Stone Sector – Sustainable Stone by Portugal, an agenda with a total investment of 53,824,168.36 euros and the participation of more than 50 partners.
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