The official inauguration of the ‘TERM RES-HUB – Guimarães City Institute’ at Avepark took place with the presence of António Costa, Prime Minister, and Domingos Bragança, Mayor of Guimarães.
On the morning of Wednesday, January 10, the official inauguration of the “TERM RES-HUB – Guimarães City Institute” took place, a Scientific Infrastructure for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and the largest project in the National Roadmap of Strategic Scientific Infrastructures. The “new home” that the organic unit I3Bs, from UMinho, now has at its disposal for research development, in addition to the funding from Portugal 2020, also received significant investment from the Municipality of Guimarães and the University of Minho.
The ceremonial speeches, attended by a group of academia personalities and various government officials, began with the intervention of Rui Vieira de Castro, rector of the University of Minho, who qualified the moment as “a particularly happy day.” Rui Vieira de Castro emphasized Domingos Bragança’s fundamental contribution to making it possible to inaugurate “such an important infrastructure,” as well as the contribution of António Cunha, former rector of UMinho and current president of CCDR-N. According to the rector, with the full operation of the Guimarães City Institute, UMinho now has an opportunity to consolidate research as one of its areas of excellence, both nationally and internationally, with increased responsibility. Rui Reis, president of I3Bs, outlined the journey taken for the Institute to become a reality, describing it as an opportunity that involves everyone.
Domingos Bragança, the Mayor, expressed mutual gratitude between the University of Minho, through its rector, and highlighted the commitment of the Municipality of Guimarães to make Science and Knowledge essential pillars for the territory’s development. “Through knowledge, we empower and strengthen our social and economic fabric, but also Education and Culture, as these are the foundations we define as essential for the development of the Guimarães territory. Here, in this same place, I gathered a group of entrepreneurs, along with I3Bs and the Hospital of Guimarães, so that a Health HUB can be born in Guimarães, from Avepark to the region, country, and the world. The transfer of knowledge to companies and the diversification of their activities, with a focus on medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and new therapeutic applications in the healthcare system, are essential for our entire economic fabric to transform into a technology-based economic fabric,” said the Mayor. Domingos Bragança also recalled the strategic support being given to Aerospace Engineering and the project of the “Factory of the Future,” as clear investments in Science and Knowledge by the municipality.
Elvira Fortunato, Minister of Science, Technology, and Higher Education, referred to Domingos Bragança as a “strategic partner” for the creation of the Guimarães City Institute and as a “Science ambassador” because the municipality of Guimarães has a clear public policy of investing in knowledge and science. For the minister, the inauguration of the new research center is the “realization of a dream” and the vision of its mentor, Rui Reis.
For António Costa, the Prime Minister, the inauguration of the Guimarães City Institute is “a milestone in a journey and a strategy that places knowledge at the base of everything.” According to António Costa, this commitment began with creating conditions to improve higher education enrollment numbers and supporting the stabilization of universities. A crucial dimension, according to the Prime Minister, is that of Mobilizing Agendas, highlighting the role that the University of Minho has been playing in the process, being present in 18 of the 53 approved agendas. António Costa mentioned the example of the partnership between the University of Minho and Bosch as inspiring and emphasized Domingos Bragança’s commitment to Science, decisive for the outcome that the Guimarães City Institute has achieved.
At the end of the inauguration ceremony of the “TERM RES-HUB – Guimarães City Institute,” António Costa visited the construction of the future and innovative residential building for students and researchers, which is part of the municipal strategy for the development of the Science and Technology Park of Guimarães, AvePark. The “net-zero” residential building is an investment of approximately 13.8 million euros (plus VAT), under the National Housing Program for Higher Education (PNAES) supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). In total, this new building will be equipped with 20 single rooms, 35 double rooms, 24 studios, 4 type T0, 22 type T1, and 5 type T2, expecting its completion in the summer of the current year.
