02-07-2026
NOVA FCT stood out at the Forum "Setúbal Peninsula – A Strategic Vision for the Region," held this Monday, June 30, at the Cine-Teatro S. João in Palmela. Organized by the Intermunicipal Community of the Setúbal Peninsula (CIMPS), the event brought together mayors, government officials, academics, and representatives from the business and associative sectors to discuss the main challenges and opportunities for the region’s development in the coming years.
The Forum marks the first major public event affirming the new Intermunicipal Community (CIM), representing a turning point for the region. After a decade integrated into the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, the Setúbal Peninsula now has its own statistical autonomy, paving the way for a dedicated regional program and more favorable co-financing rates in the next cycle of European funds.
NOVA FCT participated in three of the six roundtables in the program, establishing itself as a key academic partner in shaping this agenda. José Júlio Alferes, Dean of the School, moderated the panel "Human Resources, Skills, and Talent Attraction," where discussions focused on the need for qualified labor and factors for talent retention, the impact of artificial intelligence, the role of higher education institutions, schools, and technological training centers in the region as drivers of development, as well as cooperation between these institutions and companies as a means of promoting employability.
Eurico Cabrita, Vice-Dean for Innovation and Research, took part in the panel "Innovation, Economic Competitiveness, Industry, and Energy Transition," alongside representatives from AISET and Mota-Engil. The discussion addressed strategies to strengthen industrial-based innovation as a driver of competitiveness and regional development, decarbonization and the contribution of renewable energy to the energy transition, as well as the importance of knowledge transfer between academia and the business sector.
José Carlos Ferreira, Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (DCEA), participated in the panel "Development and Differentiating Factors of the Territory," which also included ADREPES, Artesanalpesca, and CVRPS. Topics discussed included regional and local development, sustainable agriculture, the blue economy, the wine sector, and wine tourism.
Participation in the Forum reflects an already formalized institutional engagement. On May 18, José Júlio Alferes was sworn in as Secretary of the Strategic Council for Intermunicipal Development of CIMPS, the advisory body bringing together 31 regional institutions and responsible for initiating this effort. The Forum’s conclusions will serve as the basis for the future Regional Strategic Agenda of the Setúbal Peninsula.
NOVA FCT thus reaffirms its commitment to close collaboration with the municipalities and institutions of the Setúbal Peninsula, contributing scientific knowledge and strategic vision toward a fairer, more innovative, and sustainable regional development.
