Created to attract investment to the Atlantic Front region, the Greater Porto strategy has captured more than €100 million in projects for Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia and Matazinhos. Focusing primarily on industry and the housing sector, the three municipalities are involved in joint promotion activities at MIPIMwhich takes place in Cannes and ends on Friday.
The amount was presented by the Councilor for Economy, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Ricardo Valente, who, together with the Mayor of the City Hall and the Councilor for Urban Planning and Public Space, Pedro Bagaña, is taking part in the biggest event in the real estate sector in the world this week.
Investment inquiries have been higher in the American, Asian, Spanish and Northern European markets and have been growing since Greater Porto’s presentation last October at Expo Real in Germany. “Satisfied” with the participation in MIPIM, the Mayor of the City Hall of Porto emphasized the importance of showing potential investors how the municipalities of the Atlantic Front position themselves as “adjacent territories”.
“It is better to explain what unites us than what divides us, what has been done for so many years,” said Rui Moreira in a conversation with journalists. In Cannes, the Grand Port tried to “reassure” investors who traditionally bet on Portugal, due to “fear about the legal framework [for the housing sector]”.
“We tried to calm them down, describe the models that interest us, for example [housing models for] rent is available, which we are sure will continue,” explained the Mayor of Porto City Hall.
On behalf of Vila Nova de Gaia, the president of the Administrative Council of the Gayurbo, Antonio Costa, emphasized how important it is for national companies to “trust the courage” of the three municipalities, while the Councilor for the Promotion and Assistance of Activities in the Economic and Development of Areas in the Municipality of Matosinhos, Marta Pontes , emphasized “positioning” – “more than numbers” – that presence in events such as MIPIM will increase territories.
Note that it was during this edition that the MIPIM award was presented for“European cities of the future” was transferred to the municipality of Porto, which is recognized by fDi Intelligence, a publication of the Financial Times that recognizes strategies for attracting investment in 90 cities and regions.
This edition of MIPIM gathered 21 national companies and more than 23 thousand participants.
