The new Azorean Crafts digital portal, available at artesanato.azores.gov.pt, allows artisans and craft companies online access to the services of the Azores Crafts and Design Center (CADA).

The portal was presented this Friday by the Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing, and Employment, Maria João Carreiro, at the “Expo Açores Artesanato – Natal 2024”, which is taking place until Sunday at the Pavilhão do Mar in Ponta Delgada.

“The new digital address of Artesanato dos Açores reinforces the proximity, simplification and transparency of governance and public services with citizens,” she said, adding that the digitization of this public service also contributes to promoting the ‘modernization of the presence of handicrafts on the internet.’

The portal, which will be available next week, will allow artisans and artisan companies to access a mobile key and a reserved area to submit, process, and manage procedures such as applications for incentives, requests to obtain and renew the Artisan Production Unit (UPA) Charter and the Artisan Charter, and the possibility of applying for certification of products with the “Azorean Handicrafts” brand.

“From now on, the submission of applications to the incentive system [SIDART] will be integrated into the same platform that brings together all the services provided by CADA, which will dematerialize processes and allow the stages of each application to be monitored online,” he stressed.

A digital catalog has also been created for the dissemination and georeferencing (by municipality and island) of craft productions, artisans, companies, and workshops. ” This allows new possibilities for identifying and publicizing artisans and craft companies to the public,” said Maria João Carreiro.

“This is a commitment that we are proud to honor, because it results from the public investment that the Region is making in the craft sector and because it translates into undeniable added value for artisans and craft businesses,” she said, indicating that 27,000 euros had been invested in the new portal.

The Regional Secretary responsible for Crafts took the opportunity to take stock of 2024, “a truly positive year for Azorean crafts,” which was marked, in addition to the new portal, by the implementation of the Geographical Indication (GI) certification system.

This year, around 300 artisans participated in all the “Expo Açores Artesanato” fairs, including those associated with the main summer festivities in the archipelago. He said a 200,000 euro ERDF application is being prepared to revamp the image of these fairs.

At “Expo Açores Artesanato—Natal 2024” alone, which opened on Wednesday, products are on display from 84 of the region’s artisans and craft companies. These companies see this CADA organization as an opportunity to market their products, many of which are certified under the “Artesanato dos Açores” brand.

In 2025, through CADA, the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing, and Employment will invest 1 million euros in developing policies to support the production, innovation, dissemination, and marketing of Azorean handicrafts.

From Azorean Gov Press Release

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.