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1. What is the long-term vision you have regarding the development of your municipality?
Vila Nova de Famalicão is a municipality in a quite strategic position aiming to increasing the investment, the wealth, the well-being of its inhabitants, employment and quality of life. It is essential to work on attracting companies with potential of technological development, not damaging environment and being employers of qualified manpower. Thus, it is intended to increase the competitiveness of Vila Nova de Famalicão through the development of a strong local economy, which ensures the creation of employment and the production of wealth, and brings effectiveness to the measures of support and dynamisation of the municipality as a privileged space for new business investment. The resolution of requests in a short-term is our pretension, through a rapid and effective response to potential investors.
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2. Why do you consider your municipality to be attractive as a location for companies and businesses?
Vila Nova de Famalicão is one of the most dynamic and industrialized municipalities of the country. The industrial density of Famalicão is characterised by a strong influence of dynamic micro, small and medium sized enterprises, whose activities are concentrated on textiles and clothing industries, technology, construction, metallurgy and metal industry, food industry and in commercial and service sectors. With its privileged location in the Northwest of Portugal, between Porto and Galicia (Spain), Vila Nova de Famalicão, being located in the Rio Ave basin, is provided with the junction of two motorways - the A3 (Porto - Vigo) and A7 (Guimarães - Póvoa de Varzim) - and with an excellent service of rail transport, with connections to the main points in the country. It is as well served with a very good road network.
For this and other reasons we have the confidence and courage to assure that Vila Nova de Famalicão offers added value for profitable industrial investments.
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3. Do you think that the municipality has a vocation and is in the position to receive Foreign Direct Investment?
The municipality has the vocation and is in the position to receive foreign investments. For this there is a municipal support cabinet for investors (GAI - Gabinete de Apoio ao Investidor) that guarantees all the necessary support for the installation of potential investors and as well a cabinet for special and industrial licensing (GLEI - Gabinete de Licenciamentos Especiais e Industriais) to support the processes of licensing of commercial and industrial units.
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4. And concerning Domestic Investors?
The same is valid for national investors. The municipality is prepared to receive and support negotiations which seem to be attractive and that stand on innovation and the creation of qualified employment. Regarding national investors, the municipality has been contributing to enable processes related to investments with an innovative character in Vila Nova de Famalicão.
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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?
The municipality offers a support cabinet for investors (GAI) whose principal and fundamental objective is to support, stimulate and lever the industrial activity in the municipality, and as well to attract new industrial investments in the municipality. Another objective is to elaborate and analyse economic studies about the industrial activity in the municipality, and to provide continuous and innovative information and support for industry in order to facilitate the access to competent entities in charge of licensing. It is aimed as well to collect, treat and diffuse through different logistic means legislation and information related to industrial activity, relevant for economic agents. The municipality has created as well a cabinet for special and industrial licensing (GLEI) responsible for support of licensing processes of commercial and industrial units.
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6. Which specific incentives could be offered to entrepreneurs who intend establishing their units in your municipality?
Vila Nova de Famalicão offers a set of exemptions that are attractive for investors, namely a low municipal tax on the profit of companies, a low tax for industrial licensing and a low water price for companies, offering additionally the sewer and refuse disposal service.
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7. What is the availability of labour in the area?
The great socio-economic dynamics observable in Vila Nova de Famalicão is mainly due to its location, which allows the setting of a powerful and diversified industry, together with the installation of tertiary activities, like in the case of CITEVE (Technological Centre for the Textile and Clothing Industries of Portugal), the Universidade Lusíada, the Vale do Ave School of Health and some vocational schools. Therefore, Vila Nova de Famalicão benefits from the proximity to universities and institutions, of which some have an international reputation for their vocational training, research and development in the technological fields. Thus there is an enormous flexibility regarding available qualified and specialised manpower.
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8. How is the municipality being promoted so as to attract investors?
The municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão, through the support cabinet for investors, has a database of economic activities in the municipality which provides a deep knowledge of the activities typology, information on realisation, location and products, as well as industrial residues produced. There exists as well a database of pavilions and available terrains that can be negotiated for industrial use and publications related to economic activity, namely a manual of business indicators of companies settled down in Famalicão with better rentability, which has been published yearly in the Press since 2001. It has been as well created and is in function the cabinet for special and industrial licensing (GLEI) to support companies in licensing processes of commercial and industrial units. Thus the best conditions, tools and services of quality are available to contribute to a competitive business climate.
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9. Is there a special message you would like to tell to potential investors?
Vila Nova de Famalicão has a critical position in the promotion of sustainable development, but as well has adopted a diversified policy towards social, environmental, educational, and cultural topics, among others.
Another of our objectives is an effort to improve the quality of life of the present citizens without compromising the next generations. We want, however, to receive potential investors, regardless of being national or foreign, in a familiar and amicable way, and to give the necessary support for their installation for keeping them for a long time.
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