The mayor of Braga told The Portugal News about the plans for Braga and also what has been done in the city in terms of investment, tourism and to the citizens of Braga.

The Portugal News (TPN): Why is the municipality of Braga in WebSummit?

Ricardo Rio (RR): Even though the municipality of Braga does not have a stand at WebSummit, it has had a regular presence in recent years, because within the scope of support development, entrepreneurship and innovation, many Braga start-ups have been present.

In this context, we have been following WebSummit and have participated in events associated with WebSummit itself. This year we were presented with an additional reinforcement, which was obviously the fact that Braga was qualified as a finalist in the European Capital of Innovation Awards. That we ended up winning therefore naturally justifies even stronger involvement on our part as well.

TPN: Following this victory, what does the municipality of Braga intend to develop?

RR: Firstly, obviously the continuity of the effort that has been developed so far. We are not celebrating a single initiative, or a single project, we are celebrating a path. I would say that the recognition that Braga deserved had to do with the path that has been taken over the last few years, inherent to all areas. From municipal governance to all areas of our experience in society.

There is a very strong involvement of all our partners, from academia to business, to social and cultural institutions, and over the years we have brought new skills from the point of view of innovative capacity. They feel connected with all these partners and with the citizens themselves. Therefore, looking forward, what we want is to continue what we have done well so far, with another mission with other areas of intervention.

TPN: What has been done well by the municipality of Braga?

RR: We have several examples, including at the beginning of 2014, when we were the first municipality in Portugal to create a locally based economic boosting agency, InvestBraga. Within the scope of InvestBraga, Startup Braga was also born, our support hub for economic growth, recently recognised by the Financial Times as the seventh-best innovation centre at European level, the best in Portugal and the third in the European Union. We also created the Human Power Hub, our incubator for social action projects. We were also recognised as a UNESCO creative city, in the area of ​​media arts, combining technology with artistic expression. We are also one of the municipalities in Portugal most committed to sustainable development objectives.

TPN: Could you share more details about InvestBraga?

RR: InvestBraga was the economic dynamisation agency that Braga created in 2014. It is a 100% municipal structure whose main objective is to support the economic development of our territory and this development. Support can be provided to companies that are already growing or attracting other companies to our board. In recent years we have brought companies like Fujitsu or Mercedes and several companies from other sectors of commerce, tourism and others to Braga.

TPN: Does all this international recognition lead to an increase in foreign investment in Braga?

RR: Braga is nowadays a completely cosmopolitan city, with 130 nationalities where almost 13 percent of our population is a migrant population of different origins, and 8 percent are Brazilians. We have attracted many large companies that have created an average of 2,000 jobs per year, in a city that today has 200,000 inhabitants and therefore obviously has considerable weight.

In my opinion, Braga is an excellent example from the point of view of the integration of these migrant communities, many of whom come with their families. In our schools there are students of 40 different nationalities, which reveals the transformation process that the city has experienced in this decade.

TPN: In addition to its attractiveness for investments, what else does Braga have to offer the foreign community in Portugal?

RR: The unmissable excitement and quality of life that, according to the latest Eurobarometer, 94 percent of people who live in Braga said they are happy living in the city. We have all the infrastructure and excellent services in terms of education in terms of health, culture, sport and leisure. Braga thus also has a very unique mix between what is the history of a city that has a very rich heritage and what is the innovation of a very young city with almost 40% of its population under 30 years of age. I think this mix and match makes the atmosphere in the city very attractive. People who go to Braga feel seduced by the city and its energy.

TPN: Is Braga's growth important for the country's decentralization?

RR: Yes, first of all, obviously it should also decentralize, not only growth as has been happening, but also the vision of the country. Portugal is much more than Lisbon and Porto and Braga is an excellent example. In the case of Braga, it is the city that has grown the most in population in the last decade and is the third most exporting municipality in the country.

TPN: Since you are mayor (2013), what evolution do you feel in tourism?

RR: Braga was well known until that time for its religious dimension, it is the city of archbishops, the Portuguese Rome, due to the number of churches it has in the municipality, the truth is that this religious dimension is still present in our history. We have the oldest Cathedral in our country, we have Bom Jesus which is a World Heritage Site, or even Sameiro, which are obviously iconic spaces in our city. The rehabilitation of Forum Braga was fundamental to this. Currently, we can start hosting shows like Rosalía from 30 Seconds to Mars, Bryan Adams, which obviously fill our pavilion with 13,000 people. At a national level, it ended up reinforcing tourist attractiveness also due to the additional promotion we carried out. Braga was the best European Destination in 2021 and had been the second best in 2019. Braga was recently considered by the World Travel Awards as an emerging destination at a European and global level. Braga has tripled its visitors since 2013 in terms of overnight stays. The city also has several investments in the hotel sector and has several complementary touristic offers in restaurants and others.

Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos