At a gathering in Ponta Delgada, Regional Government President José Manuel Bolieiro highlighted the Azores’ role in ocean conservation and their maritime and geostrategic potential, while PDL26 Commissioner Katia Guerreiro argued that culture must leave a lasting inheritance beyond 2026. Together, their reflections placed the archipelago at the intersection of cultural identity, scientific innovation and economic transformation.
An island is never merely the land that emerges from the ocean. It is also the immensity of water surrounding it, the memory of those who crossed that water, the knowledge accumulated through centuries of inhabiting its shores, and the possibilities that remain hidden beneath its surface. In the Azores, this larger understanding of territory is increasingly entering discussions about economic development, cultural identity and the future of regional autonomy. At the latest Encontro Fora da Caixa, held on October 6 at the Grand Hotel Açores Atlântico in Ponta Delgada, the central question was how the archipelago might transform its geographical circumstances, cultural inheritance and scientific potential into enduring opportunities.
Organized by Caixa Geral de Depósitos under the theme “When Culture Creates Value,” the gathering brought together political leaders, business executives and cultural representatives. The event opened with Paulo Moita de Macedo, Chief Executive of Caixa Geral de Depósitos, followed by Rui Martins, Director of Strategy at Caixa Gestão de Ativos, who examined economic and financial market trends. The third such gathering held in the Azores, following previous editions on Pico and Terceira, took place during Ponta Delgada’s year as Portuguese Capital of Culture, providing a setting in which economic questions could be considered alongside the cultural and historical dimensions of regional development.
For José Manuel Bolieiro, President of the Regional Government, culture is an instrument of visibility, understanding and economic opportunity. Recalling the preparation of Ponta Delgada’s candidacy for European Capital of Culture, initiated in 2015 during his tenure as mayor, he argued that the project sought to affirm the identity, heritage and history of the Azores while projecting the archipelago beyond its geographical boundaries. The subsequent designation as Portuguese Capital of Culture has helped sustain that ambition. Yet Bolieiro insisted that cultural policy must reach beyond performances and recreation, contributing to a deeper understanding of the Region’s place in the Atlantic and the world.
That perspective led him toward what he considers one of the Azores’ greatest strategic assets: the ocean. The archipelago contributes substantially to Portugal’s extensive Exclusive Economic Zone, giving it a maritime dimension whose importance extends far beyond the islands’ land area. Bolieiro described the geopolitical, geostrategic and geoeconomic value of this maritime territory as incalculable, arguing that the Azores must move beyond perceptions of smallness and develop a stronger appreciation of their position within the Atlantic. Geography, in this interpretation, should become a source of ambition rather than a permanent explanation for limitation.
The Regional Government President also emphasized the importance of understanding the ocean in its entirety, including the deep sea and seabed. He argued that the blue economy cannot be reduced to extracting marine resources and that scientific research is essential to understanding the natural wealth, ecological systems and potential mineral resources within Portuguese maritime jurisdiction. Investments in a scientific research vessel and the development of MARTEC were presented as part of a wider effort to strengthen the Region’s marine research capabilities. Bolieiro also referred to the space technology center being developed on Santa Maria, where satellite-related activities and the scientific use of orbital and suborbital data could create further opportunities for technological specialization.
Ocean conservation formed another central part of his argument. Referring to the establishment of an extensive network of marine protected areas in the North Atlantic, Bolieiro maintained that decisions taken by the Azores’ autonomous institutions have helped strengthen Portugal’s international standing in marine protection. In his words, Portugal enjoys recognition for leadership by example in ocean conservation partly because of the Azores and the political choices made within the Region. His remarks connected environmental stewardship with international influence, suggesting that protecting marine ecosystems can itself become an important expression of the archipelago’s global significance.
If Bolieiro placed the ocean at the center of the Azores’ strategic future, Katia Guerreiro, Commissioner of Ponta Delgada 2026, placed culture at the center of its human development. For Guerreiro, a Portuguese Capital of Culture should do more than celebrate artistic production already present within a territory. It should also attract new experiences, institutions and creative encounters, allowing residents to participate in cultural expressions that might otherwise remain distant. The challenge of insularity is real, she acknowledged, particularly because transporting artists, equipment and major productions to the islands involves considerable expense and logistical uncertainty. Yet she rejected the notion that the Azores must consequently understand themselves as peripheral. They can instead become a center of cultural creation and exchange between continents.
The participation of major Portuguese cultural institutions has reinforced that conviction. Guerreiro highlighted the return of the National Ballet Company to the Azores after more than sixteen years and the anticipated November visit of the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos. She also announced that Ponta Delgada will host Portugal’s first Ibero-American Conference on Cultural Rights in November, with the involvement of the Ministry of Culture and participants from Spain and several Latin American countries. Such initiatives, she argued, demonstrate that cultural programming can strengthen international relationships while expanding opportunities for local artists, educators and audiences.
But the true measure of PDL26, according to Guerreiro, will be what remains after the calendar year ends. The initiative has therefore emphasized training, partnerships and the development of cultural networks capable of continuing beyond the designation itself. Working with schools, artists and cultural institutions, the objective is to strengthen local creative capacity and cultivate audiences whose relationship with the arts will endure. Culture, she argued, generates value that cannot be measured exclusively through financial returns: it also enriches communities, strengthens citizenship and expands the possibilities of individual expression.
Her reflections extended to artificial intelligence and the challenges it presents to younger generations. In an increasingly technological society, Guerreiro considers cultural education essential to developing the critical thinking needed to use new tools creatively and responsibly. Technology may transform how knowledge and artistic content are produced, but she emphasized the enduring human dimension of culture—emotion, imagination and the capacity to establish meaningful relationships between people.
The meeting concluded with a discussion entitled “Azores: A Laboratory of the Future,” featuring 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. Braz suggested that the archipelago’s relatively small scale, despite its limitations, may offer advantages for testing innovative solutions at manageable costs, while emphasizing that experimentation must remain connected to economic productivity and wealth creation. Lopes called for a strategic vision extending ten, fifteen or twenty years into the future, particularly in transportation, communications and the ocean, while recognizing the different circumstances of the nine islands. Carvalho highlighted the Region’s natural diversity, tourism potential and gastronomic heritage as assets capable of supporting innovation.
Across these different perspectives, a common proposition emerged: the future of the Azores cannot be constructed through isolated sectors or short-lived initiatives. Cultural investment must connect with education and economic opportunity. Scientific research must strengthen knowledge of the ocean and its ecosystems. Technological ambition must generate practical benefits for communities. And regional development must recognize both the shared identity and the distinct realities of the nine islands.
There is a particular significance in discussing these questions during the fiftieth anniversary of Azorean Autonomy. The institutions established over the past half-century have given the archipelago the capacity to make decisions about its own development. The challenge now is to transform that political capacity into sustained cultural, scientific, environmental and economic achievement.
For centuries, the Atlantic defined the distance separating the Azores from the continents. Today, the same ocean increasingly defines their possibilities for connection, research, conservation and international cooperation. Culture gives meaning to that geography; science reveals its dimensions; and political decisions determine how its opportunities may be pursued.
The future of the islands will not be found simply by looking toward the horizon. It will also require understanding what lies beneath the sea, recognizing what history has placed within their communities, and ensuring that the knowledge and creativity of the present become an inheritance for generations still to come.
Based on a story in Diário dos Açores–The photos are from the Government of the Azores.