Horta, Portugal, Aug. 5, 2026 (Lusa) – The president of the Azores regional government, José Manuel Bolieiro, described the arrival in the region of the new scientific research vessel, built in Spain, as «a historic day» for the archipelago, as it brings further capacity to the marine cluster.

«This is a historic day for the development of critical infrastructure that is essential for knowledge and for advancing science and research,» said the head of the government, following Tuesday's reception at the port of Horta of the «Azores Ocean», a 46-metre-long vessel.

Bolieiro noted that, in addition to the new research vessel, which cost over €30 million and was co-financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), the region has also taken «significant steps» in managing its waters through its network of marine protected areas.

«We are addressing the management of marine protected areas, and the necessary compensation for any losses that professionals in the extractive economy, fisheries, may incur as a result of these protection measures. We are therefore one step ahead, but a huge step, in the national and global project regarding the protection and conservation of the oceans,» he emphasised.

At a time when the Azores are celebrating 50 years of regional autonomy, the regional government's president also said that the new scientific research vessel would enable the region to gain «autonomy in knowledge».

«We are therefore taking steps towards political autonomy in knowledge, which is of far greater value to the country and to the European Union than any form of administrative autonomy,» emphasised the head of the government.

The ‘Azores Ocean' was designed to explore the deep sea in the North Atlantic; it can carry up to 30 people (including crew and scientists) and is also equipped with an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) for seabed mapping and deep-sea exploration.

Bolieiro believes that this investment should be utilised by researchers at the University of the Azores studying the deep sea around the archipelago and should also be made available to the whole country as part of other strategic partnership projects.

Despite the presence at the ceremony of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Azores, Susana Mira Leal, a group of researchers and scientists from the Horta campus expressed their disappointment on social media that neither the Azores Institute of the Sea (IMAR) nor the Okeanos Institute had been invited to the reception for the ‘Azores Ocean'.

RF/ADB // ADB.

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