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1. What is the long-term vision you have regarding the development of your municipality?
We have worked hard on the generation of conditions for a better quality of life for the people of Arcos de Valdevez, through promotion of wealth creation, employment and social and territorial cohesion. We have developed a strategic vision of an integrated and sustainable development. In this sense we work hard on the creation of cultural and sports facilities, on training/qualification for tourism and for business, as well as on the construction of roads and basic infrastructure. These initiatives have been articulated with other ones at the level of the valorisation and preservation of the built and environmental heritage.
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2. Why do you think your municipality is attractive as a location for companies and businesses?
The municipality is attractive due to its geographical location (close to the motorway, to two airports and three seaports), the existence of three business parks duly equipped with infrastructure, the hard work on training (the vocational school and the centre for vocation of CENFIM), the financial incentives and the support effectively given to companies. Due to this active policy, the Autarchy was awarded with the “Galardão API” by the Portuguese Investment Agency for its work regarding the reduction of “costs of context”, which means for the creation of conditions in order to attract investment, for various projects and intentions of investment in the territory, for speeding up licensing processes and for fast answers to requests of investors.
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3. Do you think your municipality has a vocation and is in a position to host Foreign Direct Investment?
The municipality has the vocation and already has received foreign investment as a result of the strategy to attract investment and the strategic partnerships with API, the various Chambers of Commerce and with some former emigrants who decided to invest in their land. At the moment there are companies settled down in the municipality with capital coming from the USA, France, Spain and Germany.
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4. And concerning Domestic Investment?
Various companies of the region and the country have settled down in our business parks, result of the same attraction strategy developed by the municipality.
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5. Is there available any service or person with a mission of supporting potential investors considering to locate production units in the municipality?
There is a specific strategy to accompany investors called Investor Relationship Management, based on the philosophy of CRM (Customer Relationship Management). In this strategy are directly involved: the Mayor, the councillor for economic development and various functionaries of the municipality from the areas of architecture, engineering, juridical matters, and others. This programme has as basic function the active accompaniment of companies in all the phases of the implementation of their investment, from the initial phase of the contact till the actual function of the business unit and as follow up through regular contacts.
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6. Which specific incentives could be offered to entrepreneurs that settle down their units in the municipality?
There are various incentives for the purchase of land (from 0,15€/m² to 5€/m², in accordance to the numbers of jobs that are going to be created), the exemption of the tax for construction of buildings and of the Municipal surcharge over corporate tax. Apart of these incentives, the autarchy can, as it already has been done, declare the status of Municipal Relevant Interest for the projects in order to enable fiscal incentives - Law nº 409/99, of 15th October. Companies installed in the municipality will as well be able to benefit of fiscal incentives specifically directed to investments in the interior (inland) of the country - Law nº 171/99, of 18th September, which induces that the tax of IRC mounts up from 15% to 25%, instead of 30% to 40%.
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7. What is the availability of human resources within the region?
There is manpower available, of which a part has manufacturing experience and another one has professional training. The municipality benefits as well of the proximity of a cluster of universities and Institutes, namely the University of Minho and the Polytechnic Institute of Viana, whose level of formation is nationally and internationally recognised and thus offers an added value.
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8. In which way is the municipality being promoted in order to attract investment?
Various means are being used, such as the organisation and participation in promotional events, disseminations together with API, the various Chambers of Commerce, the Arcuense Community abroad and as well by internet and through the network of contacts of the companies installed in the business parks that act in partnership with the autarchy.
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9. Is there a special message you would like to tell to potential investors?
The municipality has made a great effort to create conditions with regard to infrastructure and human resources beneficial to investment. We are developing new projects, such as the centre of incubation of companies and protocols for collaboration with all the Polytechnic Institutes of the Northern Region and universities, in order to create conditions for the installation of companies with potential for development in new fields and technologies and for the creation and attraction of better qualified manpower, which is more appropriate for the needs of companies. We believe in the capacity of this initiative, in the entrepreneurial spirit and in the willingness of entrepreneurs to face together new challenges towards a better future.
Accept the challenge. Invest in Arcos de Valdevez.
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