Support programmes and good practice at the I Forum of Emigrant Support Offices and Diaspora Investment

Support programmes and good practice at the I Forum of Emigrant Support Offices and Diaspora Investment

The I Forum of Emigrant Support Offices and Diaspora Investment for municipalities, inter-municipal communities, autonomous regions, business and development associations, will take place on the 22nd of June in Idanha-a-Nova.

This first Forum aims to introduce relevant programmes in support of emigrants and/or diaspora investment, as well as share good municipal practices for the appreciation of Portuguese communities residing abroad in favour of the development of territories.

The programme includes the introduction and formalisation of the Support Network for the Diaspora Investor, which links services from the different areas of governance, regional entities, municipalities and business matrix associations. The introduction and formalisation will predominantly be of associations from the diaspora which support diaspora investment and have interlocutors, instruments and means for such purpose.

The protocol signing is therefore predicted, hence formalising this network that launches with more than 300 entities including municipalities, inter-municipal communities, investment agencies and development associations. The network constitution is dynamic, and it continues to expand through entities of the Portuguese entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well through business associations in the diaspora, with special emphasis on the Portuguese Chambers of Commerce and Industry abroad.

During the Forum there will be the introduction of new programmes such as : the "Special higher education access quota for Portuguese emigrant candidates, family members who reside with them and Portuguese descendants", extended to the current academic year, for more than 1000 courses, in all public universities and polytechnic institutes; the "Support Measures for the Return of Portuguese Emigrants: Return Programme and More Inland Employment "promoted by the Employment and Professional Training Institute;

and also, the "Portugal 2030 Partnership Agreement", with a preview of its programmes aiming to prepare technicians in their responses to diaspora entrepreneurs and investors.

Among measures to support emigrants and diaspora investment, the following will also be introduced: the "New Model of Consular Management", which aims to permanently ensure consular service, in any part of the world. This is based on simplification, dematerialisation, and digitalisation and has a mission to simplify access requests and processing of different consular documents, through innovative applications; The "Invest in Portugal", which is the National Platform for Investment promoted by the Agency for Portuguese Investment and Foreign Trade; as well as the "Diaspora Global Network", promoted by the AEP Foundation, which will present two new functionalities: the Business Portal and the Diaspora Business Intelligence.

One of the Forum's objectives focuses on the share of upright practices for the appreciation of the diaspora in favour of development of territories. The Idanha- a-Nova Municipality, the host of this edition, will present its best practices in attracting residents and investment to its territory.

Also notable is the predicted presentation on "The importance of diaspora in the formation of established brands", by Denise Henriques Quintela, a researcher at The New University of Lisbon (NOVA) and ISCTE.

The Forum will be attended by the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities, Paulo Cafôfo, who will speak at the opening session, at 10:30 am, and by the Secretary of State for Regional Development, Isabel Ferreira, who will end activities around 6 pm* .

Lisbon, the 21st of June 2022