Galp, the Municipality of Matosinhos and CCDR-N signed this Wednesday, February 16th, a cooperation protocol for the conversion of land until now occupied by the Galp Refinery in the municipality of Matosinhos.
«The development of an Innovation District and the transfer of plots of land for the construction of a university center are two of the projects being evaluated under this protocol, which aim to promote the economic, social and environmental recovery of the entire northern region of the country» , refer the three entities in a statement.
The signing of this protocol is the starting point for the conversion of the land where Galp's industrial unit operated. For this, the protocol contemplates the constitution of a joint technical team that will outline, in articulation with the other competent entities, all the necessary procedures to comply with the legal and economic frameworks associated with the project.
«This protocol materializes, in practice, the commitment we made to work in partnership with the Municipality of Matosinhos and with all relevant stakeholders to create a hub of innovation and knowledge that will be a source of pride for the North and the Country» , said Andy Brown, CEO of Galp.
Luísa Salgueiro, Mayor of Matosinhos, highlighted that “the new stage that the signing of this protocol begins”, in particular «with the ambition of transforming a contaminated area into an asset that contributes to the growth of qualified employment and competitiveness in the region ».
For CCDR-N «this will be the biggest and most structuring project of regional development in Portugal in the horizon of the next decade. A historic opportunity for the North Region», underlined António Cunha, president of CCDR-N.