Vila do Porto, Azores Islands, Portugal, June 29, 2026 (Lusa) - The head of the regional government of Portugal's Azores islands, José Manuel Bolieiro, acknowledged on Monday that the Santa Maria space technology centre project is “a strategic advantage” for the island and for the region.
“Firstly, I would like to highlight the common understanding we have reached, the [Regional] Government, the local authority [of Vila do Porto] and the Portuguese Space Agency, to focus strategically on an asset that the Azores provide to Portugal – and in which Santa Maria plays a central role – our space technology centre project and the capacity for access to space, and indeed the returns that Santa Maria provides to Portugal and the European Union,” said José Manuel Bolieiro.
The head of the Azorean government was speaking to journalists today at the end of a meeting at Vila do Porto council, on the first day of a two-day official visit to the island of Santa Maria.
According to Boleiro, the space technology centre is “a strategic advantage that offers a great opportunity for Santa Maria and the Azores, in terms of investment and geopolitical and geo-economic importance”.
“And, fortunately, we have been working closely together – the [Regional] Government, the local authority and the Portuguese Space Agency – on this project,” he said, emphasising that there is now “greater capacity and higher expectations” on the island.
“I hope that local residents and landowners whose land is essential for the realisation of this project will understand the public good and service we are providing to boost the island’s economy, as well as to attract talent and strategic investment for our collective development,” he concluded.
At the end of the meeting, the Mayor of Vila do Porto, Bárbara Chaves, noted that various issues relating to land use, water, bathing areas and housing, amongst others, had been discussed during the meeting.
Some of these issues had already been raised at previous meetings, but the mayor noted that it is “always important” to take stock of the situation.
Bárbara Chaves added that issues “relating to accessibility and transport – which are fundamental for the island of Santa Maria and must always be on the agenda” – were also examined.
The mayor noted that the regional government “takes these issues on board” and “is resolving some matters, whilst demonstrating that it is unable to resolve others”.
“In any case, for us, it is important to have this opportunity to directly, in a working meeting setting, (…) raise all these issues [which] are important to us,” she told journalists.
With regard to bathing areas, she explained that there are two on the island managed by the Vila do Porto council and two others by the regional government, and that the latter “are not being properly maintained and need to be addressed very seriously”.
“The bathing areas on the island of Santa Maria are also a tourist attraction for our island, and we must ensure they are in proper condition,” emphasised the mayor, the only local authority on this island in the Eastern Group of the Azores.
Regarding the bathing areas of São Lourenço and Maia, which are managed by the regional government, José Manuel Bolieiro said that their management and maintenance “seems more reasonable to be carried out by the current local authority, or even jointly by the local authority and the respective parishes”, promising to “work towards this”.
As for air access to Santa Maria, Bolieiro said that “the possibility of assessing the balance between the number of flights and the number of seats available, and determining the most suitable aircraft” would be examined.
With regard to passenger sea transport, he noted that the government is “considering a solution”. “Perhaps there will be a pilot project here, which we will be keeping an eye on and are ready [to implement],” he said.
According to the Statute of the Azores, the regional government must visit each of the islands in the archipelago at least once a year, and is obliged to convene the Government Council on the island being visited.
ASR/AYLS // AYLS
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