The AIR Centre participated in the S3 Summit: Smart Specialisation Strategy, held from 27 to 29 May 2026 on São Miguel Island, Azores, representing three of its active research projects: BioMUST4ALL, SOLAR-Az, and Red BEAM.
Held under the theme “Outermost Regions: Territories with a future?”, the 2026 edition of the summit brought together the regional research and innovation ecosystem to analyse and debate the present and future of smart specialisation strategies and their effects on outermost regions. The event fostered knowledge-sharing, mutual learning, and reflection on how these strategies contribute to innovation, territorial transformation, and economic and social development. It also opened a broader discussion on the role that Outermost Regions (ORs) play – or could play – in the European and global strategic landscape, and on the key challenges they face.
AIR Centre’s presence at the summit underlines its commitment to the Azores as both a base for Atlantic research and a living laboratory for innovation in outermost regions. The three represented projects reflect complementary dimensions of this mission: BioMUST4ALL leverages biodiversity data and knowledge to drive social impact, and SOLAR-Az aims to install solar monitoring antennas and share unique datasets in the Atlantic basin with the international network e-Callisto, while Red BEAM strengthens the collaborative networks that connect Azorean research to broader Atlantic and European frameworks.
BioMUST4ALL is a co-funded project, supported at 85% by FEDER (ACORES2030-FEDER-01913200) and at 15% by the Autonomous Region of the Azores (DRCID, PRO-SCIENTIA, M1.1.C/COFUND AÇORES 2030/014/2025). SOLAR-Az is also a co-funded projects, supported at 85% by FEDER (ACORES2030-FEDER-01909900) and at 15% by the Autonomous Region of the Azores (DRCID, PRO-SCIENTIA, M1.1.C/COFUND AÇORES 2030/028/2025). RedBEamis cofunded at 85% by FEDER (INTEREG MAC 2021-2027, 1/MAC/1/1.1/0052) and at 15% by the Autonomous Region of the Azores (DRCID, PRO-SCIENTIA, M2.2.A/COFUND MAC/012/2024/AirCentre)
[PC, 28 May 2026]
