The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology stated on Santa Maria that the Atlantic Network of Geodynamic and Space Stations (REAGE) was recently created, involving the Government of the Azores and SATA.
 
According to Gui Menezes, this association "will manage the entire project and disseminate, from a scientific perspective, the Santa Maria Fundamental Geodetic Station, already in operation, as well as another one that will be implemented on Flores Island. 

The Regional Secretary spoke on the sidelines of an observation of this station integrated in the RAEGE network. In this context, he stressed that this infrastructure “may enhance, regionally, the development of the scientific system, attracting young scientists to the Azores as well as other working groups that use this type of information.”

Gui Menezes also highlighted the importance of the Fundamental Geodetic Station in safeguarding people and property, enabling, for example, the study of phenomena that may indicate the occurrence of natural disasters from the most varied sources.

This infrastructure will provide "studies of astronomy, geodesy and geodynamics that can be very useful in predicting natural phenomena such as the movement of tectonic plates," said the government official.

The Secretary for Technology mentioned that this project “is very interesting from a scientific and technological perspective,” recalling that that it stemmed from a protocol between the Government of the Azores and the Spanish Government.

For the Regional Secretary, the RAEGE project is the result of "the effort and investment" that the Region has made to promote the "geographic centrality" of the Azores in the access to high-end technology and the subsequent recognition in the generation of added value as well as of scientific and technological knowledge.