At a gathering in Ponta Delgada, business leaders and regional officials explored the Azores as a “Laboratory of the Future,” examining the obstacles to economic competitiveness, the urgency of energy transition and the possibilities created by Ponta Delgada’s designation as Portuguese Capital of Culture 2026.
An island is defined by the sea that surrounds it, but its future cannot be determined by geography alone. Between the limitations of distance and the possibilities of innovation lies a question that has accompanied the Azores throughout their modern history: how can a small, fragmented Atlantic territory transform its particular circumstances into lasting economic and cultural strength? That question shaped the latest Encontros Fora da Caixa, held at the Grand Hotel Atlântico, where business leaders, financial representatives and regional officials gathered to consider the archipelago not simply as a place confronting structural difficulties, but as a potential laboratory for the future.
The discussion brought together Romão Braz, Chief Executive of Grupo Finançor; Vasco Lopes, Chairman of the Executive Committee of LactAçores; and Ana Carvalho, Executive Director of Caixa Geral de Depósitos. Their conversation, under the theme “Azores: A Laboratory of the Future,” explored the relationship between innovation, investment, energy, competitiveness and the ability to retain qualified professionals. The event also included contributions from Regional Government President José Manuel Bolieiro and Katia Guerreiro, Commissioner of Ponta Delgada 2026, linking economic development with the broader possibilities of culture.
Romão Braz offered one of the most direct assessments of the Region’s economic challenges. He warned that the Azores are experiencing difficulties in their energy transition, arguing that the pace of change remains insufficient and that the islands must demonstrate greater ambition. Energy, in his analysis, is not merely an environmental concern but a structural question affecting the competitiveness of businesses and the wider economy. Although he acknowledged the resilience of companies that continue investing despite regional constraints, he emphasized another vulnerability: the scarcity of large enterprises capable of generating greater economic value, contributing significant tax revenues and offering professional opportunities attractive enough to retain talent.
His remarks also challenged the tendency to interpret every difficulty through the limitations of insularity. While the geographic fragmentation of the Azores presents undeniable obstacles, Braz argued that it should not become a permanent justification for insufficient ambition. He called for greater courage in confronting entrenched local interests and for economic projects capable of extending beyond individual political cycles. The underlying argument was that development requires continuity, strategic clarity and a willingness to confront structural weaknesses rather than merely accommodate them.
Vasco Lopes approached the discussion from the perspective of long-term planning. Describing the Azores as a laboratory composed of “nine different realities,” the LactAçores executive called for reflection on the strategic direction of the archipelago over the next thirty years. Each island possesses distinct characteristics, resources and limitations, making regional cohesion both more complicated and more necessary. For Lopes, the Atlantic position of the Azores should be understood as an asset capable of supporting a coordinated development strategy, rather than simply as a condition of remoteness.
Ana Carvalho emphasized the importance of financial institutions in supporting that transformation. Caixa Geral de Depósitos, she noted, maintains a presence throughout the nine islands, complemented by specialized services for businesses. Such proximity allows the bank to understand local economic circumstances and accompany investment initiatives. Nevertheless, she stressed that financial institutions cannot replace entrepreneurial initiative. The projects themselves must emerge from businesses and communities, with the bank serving as a partner prepared to support their development.
The gathering also explored the cultural dimension of regional competitiveness through Ponta Delgada’s designation as Portuguese Capital of Culture 2026. José Manuel Bolieiro argued that culture should be understood not simply as recreation or artistic performance, but as an economic and social resource capable of strengthening identity, attracting investment and deepening collective understanding. Recalling the earlier candidacy of Ponta Delgada for European Capital of Culture, he emphasized the importance of connecting cultural heritage, historical knowledge and the maritime identity of the Azores with the Region’s broader strategic planning.
Katia Guerreiro developed that perspective by presenting PDL26 as an opportunity to create lasting relationships between the islands and the wider cultural world. The program has already revealed, she said, an extraordinary reservoir of local artistic talent while bringing major national institutions into closer contact with Azorean audiences. Among the examples highlighted were the return of the National Ballet Company after more than sixteen years, the planned November visit of the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos and an inaugural partnership with the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II focused on developing new audiences.
For Guerreiro, however, the most enduring achievement may be found among younger generations. Culture and education, she argued, must work together to encourage critical thinking, participation and active citizenship. “They do not have to become artists, but they must become citizens,” she observed, expressing a vision in which cultural investment is measured not only through performances and attendance, but through the intellectual and civic opportunities it creates.
Taken together, the discussions revealed several dimensions of the same challenge. The energy transition concerns the conditions under which businesses can compete. The scarcity of major employers raises questions about professional opportunity and the departure of qualified young people. The diversity of the nine islands demands a strategy attentive to territorial differences. And cultural investment offers possibilities for strengthening identity while widening intellectual, creative and economic horizons.
The idea of the Azores as a laboratory of the future is therefore more than an appealing metaphor. A laboratory is a place where knowledge encounters uncertainty, where established assumptions are tested and where progress depends upon sustained effort rather than declarations of intent. For the archipelago, that means connecting scientific and technological ambition with economic investment, educational opportunity, cultural vitality and policies capable of surviving changes in political leadership.
The sea will continue to separate the nine islands. Geography cannot be rewritten. But the meaning of that geography can change.
And the future of the Azores will depend, in considerable measure, upon their capacity to transform distance into connection, inherited limitations into new possibilities, and the talent of their people into reasons to remain, return and build.
Based on a stoy in Correio dos Açores- Natalino Viveiros-direcor, The ohoto is also from DI.