The Azores occupy a central position in Portugal’s Atlantic strategy and should be understood as one of the nation’s most important maritime assets, according to Nuno Chaves Ferreira, Director-General of Portugal’s National Maritime Authority.
Speaking during the second panel of the final day of the Great Ocean Conference organized by Jornal Económico do Mar in Madeira, Chaves Ferreira described the Azores as “the great roundabout of the Atlantic,” a powerful image intended to highlight the archipelago’s role as a crossroads connecting the major maritime routes of the Atlantic Ocean.
The conference, held at the Pestana Casino Park Hotel in Funchal, brought together policymakers, maritime experts, academics, business leaders, and industry representatives to discuss some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the ocean economy, including blue growth, scientific research, innovation, maritime transport, and Atlantic geopolitics.
According to reporting by Diário de Notícias da Madeira, Chaves Ferreira used his presentation to emphasize the strategic importance of Portugal’s Atlantic archipelagos, arguing that both the Azores and Madeira are essential to the country’s ability to monitor, manage, and project its presence across the ocean.
By portraying the Azores as a central hub linking routes, regions, and strategic interests, he underscored the archipelago’s operational and geopolitical significance for Portugal in an increasingly complex maritime environment.
“Economic development does not exist without security,” Chaves Ferreira stated, identifying maritime surveillance as a fundamental pillar of Portugal’s national strategy.
He argued that Portugal’s Atlantic presence cannot be viewed solely through an economic or symbolic lens. Instead, it must be supported by the practical capacity to understand, monitor, and protect the maritime spaces under Portuguese responsibility.
The maritime authority chief also rejected what he described as an overly fragmented view of the ocean.
“The Atlantic Ocean is one,” he said, noting that distinctions between the North and South Atlantic are primarily political rather than geographic realities.
That perspective, he argued, further reinforces the importance of the Azores, whose location places the islands at the intersection of continents, maritime routes, and strategic interests.
According to Chaves Ferreira, Portugal’s future role in the Atlantic should rest on three fundamental pillars: presence, knowledge, and cooperation.
In terms of presence, he advocated strengthening both human and technological resources, including naval vessels, aircraft, unmanned systems, and advanced electronic and acoustic surveillance capabilities.
Regarding knowledge, he highlighted the growing importance of data collection, information management, and artificial intelligence in transforming maritime monitoring into effective decision-making capacity.
On cooperation, he stressed the need for close coordination among national and international partners in addressing challenges such as drug trafficking, illegal fishing, and marine pollution.
The Director-General also warned about the implications of increasing centralization of maritime policies within the European framework, arguing that Portugal must maintain a careful balance between European integration and national autonomy.
“Portugal must decide whether it wants to affirm its own Atlantic projection and autonomy or accept a model in which others provide surveillance and defense on our behalf,” he said.
In concluding his remarks, Chaves Ferreira emphasized that Portugal’s Atlantic strategy should also include the promotion of maritime culture and history, not only as instruments of international projection but also as foundations for a deeper national understanding of the sea.
For the Azores, his comments represented another acknowledgment of the archipelago’s growing relevance in discussions about security, ocean governance, scientific research, and the future of the Atlantic. Positioned at the crossroads of major shipping lanes and emerging geopolitical realities, the islands continue to be viewed not as Europe’s western frontier, but increasingly as one of the Atlantic world’s strategic centers.
Based on reporting by Diário de Notícias da Madeira on remarks delivered by Nuno Chaves Ferreira during the Great Ocean Conference in Madeira. In Diário dos Açores, Paulo Viveiros, director.