Greater Porto unites the municipalities of Matosinhos, Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia
Porto.
· 30 Sep 2022
The municipalities of Matosinhos, Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia present Greater Porto, an entity that aims to aggregate interests and companies, boost the economy, pushing the region to a new level of competitiveness and attractiveness in attracting investment with high added value and that enhances the unique characteristics of Greater Porto, the designation chosen by the three municipalities of the Atlantic Front for the joint presentation.
A pioneering project in Portugal, Greater Porto is the result of dialogue and cooperation between these three municipalities and aims to develop growth opportunities throughout the "value chain" of territorial promotion activities and attracting national and foreign investment to the North/Northwest of Portugal.
This common purpose between Matosinhos, Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia is extremely relevant in a global context of accelerated transformation, in which there is a growing impact and acceleration of macro-trends. The territories are required to have great agility and adaptability to the needs of inhabitants, investors and tourists, which are more easily overcome in territorial articulation, in the context of Greater Porto.
This entity will be present for the first time at the next edition of Expo Real (Munich, Germany, 4-6 October), with a space of 154 square metres, revealing the project globally but simultaneously communicating the brand language of each city. It will be a space prepared to host several initiatives, in which interaction among participants of the fair and networking moments will be promoted. Fifteen companies will participate in the exhibition, contributing to the international positioning of Greater Porto.
The Alderman of Economy, Employment and Entrepreneurship of Porto City Hall, Ricardo Valente, underlines that "Greater Porto is an entity oriented towards the promotion and attraction of investment to the region, with special focus on international markets and the creation of a strong territorial brand, through a model of cooperation and regional articulation that recognizes the potentials and obstacles, acting in a logic in which multipolarity is an essential condition".
"If we want to gain critical mass, boost the region's economy and its competitive factors in attracting and developing investment, we must break with the current matrix, develop concerted economic strategies, and act in a perspective of articulation, in a joint participation, such as Greater Porto", highlights Marta Pontes, councillor for the Promotion and Support of Activities in the Areas of Economic Development of the Municipality of Matosinhos.
"The goal is to create a favourable environment to maximise the values of the competitive factors of the region, making it an attractive destination on a global scale, in an intersection of synergies. Developing a concerted regional strategy, through the establishment of a network of international agents with a physical presence in countries/regions with decision centres of large investors in sectors considered strategic for the region is one of the many ways of promoting Greater Porto", says António Castro, administrator of Gaiurb.
