The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology announced in Ponta Delgada the beginning of the DOC-PROF programme, a pilot measure to support the placement of new doctorate graduates in Azorean companies. 

Gui Menezes stressed that the purpose of this measure is “to promote technological development and another view on the operation of companies, namely with regard to product and service innovation, as well as to increase the productivity and competitiveness of the business fabric." 

The DOC-PROF application will be published over the next week on the "idia Azores" platform (https://idia.azores.gov.pt/). This first edition corresponds to an investment of about 300 thousand Euros for a period of 18 months and should cover a dozen doctorates .

“This measure is expected to be a precursor to more sustainable and stable lines of financing,” said the Regional Secretary. He spoke at the opening session of the meeting with the heads of all regional research centres and interface infrastructures, which also marks the beginning of the "Azores Science Itinerary." 

This is a Regional Government's initiative that will culminate in a forum to be held in late June, involving all stakeholders of the archipelago in the field of research with the aim of defining the main lines of the regional science programme for the next decades. 

As part of the Science Itinerary, the Regional Secretary intends to visit all entities of the Azores Scientific and Technological System, including the Science and Technology Parks of the Region, TERINOV and NONAGON, as well as INOVA, regional laboratories and ongoing projects in business context. 

With these meetings and these initiatives, we intend to “assess the scientific dynamics of the Region over the course of this legislative term and to discuss with research centres the financing models for science in the coming years." 

"We want to hear and discuss the needs of each regional research centre as well as to have their input in the definition of public policies for the future of science in our Region," said the government official.

The Regional Secretary highlighted the allocation of half a million Euros by the Regional Government to support the operation of research centres during this legislative term, which already includes the funds for this year. According to him, “it represents an increase of 30% compared to the previous term" as well as" the stabilisation of support for the organisation of scientific congresses and meetings, which corresponded, until last year, to a budget of 400 thousand Euros." 

Gui Menezes also highlighted “the focus on predictability and frequency” of support for science as well as “the investment in advanced training” with the launch of doctoral and post-doctoral grants, an investment corresponding to 2.5 million Euros. In this regard, he also mentioned the launch, "for the first time in the Region" of post-doctoral grants in business context, corresponding to an investment of more than 400 thousand Euros.