The Minister of Economy defended this Wednesday that the Blue International Center for Biotechnology, which will be installed on the land of the old Matosinhos refinery, “will put Portugal at the forefront” in the transformation of the economic development model, but acknowledged that they exist ” obstacles”.
“I think this is one of the great transformative projects of the Portuguese economy. Here, in Matosinhos, there are all the conditions for it to be launched. We want to create an international center for blue biotechnologies that places Portugal at the forefront of this transformation of the economic development model that we have today, which is based on the use of polluting products”, said António Costa e Silva, on the sidelines of the signing ceremony. of the protocol that establishes the work basis of said project.
The International Center for Blue Biotechnology will be the result of collaboration between Galp, the Blue Ocean Foundation, the Municipality of Matosinhos, in the Porto district, and the North Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N).
According to the owner of the Economía y Mar folder, it is a “high ambition project”.
“The importance is great because the blue economy, according to the estimates of the European Union, is about 200 billion euros that it will reach in 2030 (…) we want to capture between five and 7% of that market value, create conditions of the country for generate revenues ranging between 10 and 14 billion euros”pointed.
This facility will be installed on the former grounds of the Galp refinery, in Matosinhos, which closed its doors in 2020, but the decontamination of the soil has not yet been carried out.
“Galp will make an effort, I think they are working to identify the areas [a descontaminar]From what they mentioned, it is a gradual strategy, they will commit to putting all the means to carry out this decontamination”, said António Costa e Silva.
For the minister, the land decontamination process “It can be a hindrance if not managed properly.”
“That is why the methodology that we have in the Ministry of Economy is to talk to all the partners and sit them at the same table. We have to articulate these wills, knowing that there is always a risk map, ”he assumed.
Asked about how the decontamination of land will be carried out and by what entity, the minister assured that “the polluter pays principle always applies, the State will not allocate funds to decontaminate land,” he said.
“Galp assumed that the decontamination will proceed quickly as long as the areas are identified”explained.
The project for this center will be presented in September, according to the working group that was presented this Wednesday, Costa e Silva hopes that it will be on the ground by 2025: “The two years are to collect everything that the working group is going to produce , format in terms of public policies and then mobilize partners to make the project work”, he explained.
According to the protocol signed this Wednesday, the entities involved “propose to collaborate actively to create the conditions that allow the creation of a space that contributes to the creation of jobs, to the competitiveness of the region and to the affirmation of Portugal as a leader in innovation and applied research in blue biotechnology on a global scale”.
The Blue Ocean Foundation will coordinate the creation of a plan for the development and management of the infrastructure and the technologies that will be incorporated in this area, Galp will define the areas destined for the project, the Câmara de Matosinhos will rationalize and promote the concept, while CCDR-N “It will seek to strengthen the contribution of the sea to the regional economy.”
On December 21, 2020, Galp informed the Portuguese Stock Market Commission (CMVM) of the decision to close the refining activity in Matosinhos, concentrating its activities in the Sines complex.
Source: Observadora
