The Government of the Azores, through the Regional Fund for Science and Technology, will invest in the internationalisation of the Azores Scientific and Technological System by implementing European funding mechanisms, such as ERA NET.
 
The main goal concerns the promotion of transnational applications to fund scientific projects and stimulate international collaboration between researchers and research and management institutions in the scientific and technological field.
 
The meeting for the launch of the European project entitled GEOTHERMICA ERA-NET ended today in Furnas, São Miguel Island. The event was organised by the Regional Fund for Science and Technology with the aim of combining the financial resources of this project consortium; the latter consists of 16 funding agencies. It also includes the European Commission, which will support the demonstration and validation projects of new technologies in Geothermal energy.
 
The members of the consortium will now mobilise industries, researchers and public authorities throughout Europe to submit their proposals to the application. The calls for the submission of transnational projects directed to teams based in the Region and included in the Azores Scientific and Technological System under this project will be launched in April.
 
"We have managed to ensure that the theme areas of the calla will be aligned with the potential and knowledge accumulated in the Azores Scientific and Technological System, thereby ensuring that regional teams will take part in highly competitive projects," said the President of the Regional Fund for Science and Technology.
 
Bruno Pacheco stressed that "the Regional Government's investment in the internationalisation of the scientific and technological system begins to show very encouraging results," adding that "other initiatives to enhance this strategic goal will be presented in 2017."
 
The approximately two dozen members of the consortium who participated in the first meeting of GEOTHERMICA ERA-NET visited today the Pico Vermelho and Ribeira Grande geothermal power plants as well as the specialised centres of the University of the Azores. These visits were intended to make them acquainted with the work that has been carried out in the Region over four decades in the exploitation of geothermal resources.
 
The GEOTHERMICA network is composed of 16 partners from 13 countries that, together, will provide a total of 30 million Euros for the development of projects in geothermal energy.