-
1. What is the long-term vision you have regarding the development of your municipality?
I am mainly concerned about the question of sustainability.
Phenomena like human desertification, the ageing of population and the need to provide conditions to hold the young generation are under attention of this administration. Therefore we consider diversification and dynamization of economic activities in general and of industry in particular to be of high importance. Certainly, without colliding or disposing the necessary preservation of the environment, which we always defend.
- top ^
-
2. Why do you consider your municipality to be attractive as a location for companies and businesses?
Basically for three reasons.
First for its geographic location – the proximity to Spain and good accessibility. Highways on both, the Portuguese and Spanish sides, Airports in Vigo and Porto, relatively close, as well as the seaports of Viana do Castelo, Matosinhos and Vigo.
Second, because of the industrial parks which are located in Vila Nova de Cerveira: two industrial poles promoted in the 80s and 90s of the 20th century guaranty the creation of a good development base and business culture in the district, which resulted recently in the creation of a new private industrial park - the business park of Fulão.
Third, by the diversified mix of the industrial companies installed and the innovative technological character of some of them, that brings significant business opportunities.
- top ^
-
3. Do you think that the municipality has a vocation and is in the position to receive Foreign Direct Investment?
As to the companies which are installed in our industrial areas, we can certainly confirm this.
In reality the principal and majority of investors in our industrial zones are foreigners, namely Spanish.
- top ^
-
4. And concerning Domestic Investors?
The conditions offered to investors are not depending on the respective nationality. They are rigorously the same: in terms of possible advantages, like requirements, there is absolutely no kind of discrimination.
The reality tells us that national investors have more difficulties to affirm, maybe because they have a relatively bigger distance to the relevant national markets.
- top ^
-
5. Is there any person or service available with the task to support potential investors who are considering establishing their production units in your municipality?
Of course there is. Within the municipal administration itself, we have a level of responsibility dedicating to questions of economic development, whose competences include those types of responsibilities.
- top ^
-
6. Which specific incentives could be offered to entrepreneurs who intend establishing their units in your municipality?
In the industrial areas which have been constructed by the municipality, the incentives offered start with the selling of infrastructured lots for a symbolic price. The only requirement for this offer is that the companies willing to settle down and benefit from the incentive should seat their headquarters in Vila Nova de Cerveira.
- top ^
-
7. What is the availability of labour in the area?
I understand that this is really one of the questions which concern potential investors, and my answer is yes, there are human resources.
Like in any market, the relation between supply and demand is defined by price and, naturally, as well subject to its availability.
Interesting is as well to mention the fact that we have many Spanish citizens working here every day in companies of our industrial zones.
- top ^
-
8. How is the municipality being promoted so as to attract investors?
We do not have a specific promotion service which serves this aim, but we use the public institutional ways in order to get acquainted with our potentials. Obvious is as well that through the press and, certainly and over all, through examples of companies which over the years settled down in our municipality, Vila Nova de Cerveira has had the possibility to see an increasing promotion and attraction with regard to productive investment.
- top ^
-
9. Is there a specific message you have for potential investors?
In very simple terms, as just mentioned before, Vila Nova de Cerveira today offers privileged conditions for the development of any economic productive activity. Through its conditions, through the work of public entities and private companies, during the last 25 years, the municipality evolved in a very privileged way, offering important advantages for those that want to develop any kind of business: proximity to markets, good infrastructure and competitive settle down costs.
- top ^