The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology stated in Ponta Delgada that there is "a very wrong perception" about the Atlantic International Research Center - AIR Center, noting that we will not build in the Azores "a building with hundreds of researchers."
 
Questioned by journalists during a press conference, Gui Menezes stressed that the AIR Center "is a complex and very ambitious long-term initiative involving several countries."
 
The Regional Secretary emphasised that this initiative intends to be a "network of infrastructures." In this context, we are identifying in each country "the technological and scientific infrastructures that will provide AIR Center with their 'its' and that may be available to the scientific community" participating in this project.
 
Gui Menezes recalled that oceans, climate change, atmosphere, data analysis, energy and space are the areas of knowledge comprised by this research centre, adding that "these matters concern challenges that the Atlantic is currently facing."
 
The Secretary for Science stated that the headquarters of AIR Center will be located in the Azores. There are also plans to recruit human resources in order to "support the executive commission in charge of this project, which will define its management and operation, funding sources and anchor projects."
 
Gui Menezes stressed that the AIR Center will "generate scientific employment in the Region, particularly in research centres developing projects under this initiative."
 
"In the Azores, there are several research centres focusing on areas that may be included within the scope of AIR Center," said the government official. In this regard, he pointed out "marine research, climate change research and space; the latter area is registering a rapid growth."
 
"In this context, the AIR Center will finance the recruitment of researchers in the Region to network with other countries," the government official said, adding that this is "an important asset for the Azores."
 
According to Gui Menezes, through this project, it will be possible to "enhance existing infrastructures with qualified researchers, mostly postdoctoral researchers, who will work on the areas of study of AIR Center and reinforce regional research centres’ teams."