Today marked the first day of the IV Forum of the Atlantic Arc Chambers of Commerce, a meeting that follows those held in Bilbao, Porto, and Oviedo. The 16 Chambers of Commerce of the Atlantic region that are part of the alliance share the common goal of advancing inter-chamber collaboration, as well as cooperation with institutions and businesses, to address the challenges faced by the regions and contribute to their sustainable economic, social, and environmental development.
The IV Forum of the Atlantic Arc Chambers of Commerce began with a technical session held at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce of Pontevedra, Vigo, and Vilagarcía de Arousa, with participation from representatives of the Chambers of A Coruña; Álava; Avilés; Bilbao; Burgos Cantabria; Gijón; Gipuzkoa; Lugo; Nouvelle-Aquitaine; Oviedo; Pontevedra, Vigo, and Vilagarcía de Arousa; Santiago de Compostela; Torrelavega; and Tui, as well as the Business Association of Portugal.
The day focused on the progress achieved in the work areas established in previous meetings. The Chamber of Oviedo presented actions related to the Transport and Mobility Monitoring Table of the Government of Spain, within the scope of transport and intermodality. The delegations from the Chambers of Aquitaine and Porto presented their initiative on wine tourism with the Camino de Santiago as a central axis. In the area of the hydrogen and renewable energy corridor, the Chamber of Bilbao detailed the initiatives carried out so far, including the recent meeting with the Hydrogen Valleys of the Cantabrian coast. Additionally, the Chamber of Bilbao, which holds the Technical Secretariat of the project, presented the work underway to enhance the alliance’s corporate communication with new tools.
During the forum, the status of the five priority challenges was updated – Connectivity and Influence Capacity; Diversification and Entrepreneurship; Sustainability, Innovation, and Internationalization; Demographic Challenge; and Talent: Attractive Territory – with new future actions proposed and plans for implementation outlined. Another action reviewed was the incorporation of new Atlantic Arc Chambers of Commerce.
Following the technical session, interventions were made by the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Pontevedra, Vigo, and Vilagarcía, José García Costas; the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Bilbao, José Ignacio Zudaire, representing the Technical Secretariat of the alliance; and the representative of the Presidency of the Atlantic Arc Commission and Director of European Affairs of the Basque Government, Mikel Antón, who presented the current situation and steps being taken to create the Atlantic Macroregion. Subsequently, conclusions and agreements for project development were presented. The closing of the day was led by the Director-General of Commerce and Consumption of the Xunta de Galicia, Gabriel Alén.
The second day, scheduled for tomorrow, the 7th, will include institutions and companies to secure their support and collaboration in the development of the Atlantic regions. The president of the Chamber of Commerce of Bilbao, José Ignacio Zudaire, and the Director of European Affairs of the Basque Government and representative of the Presidency of the Atlantic Arc Commission, Mikel Antón, will also participate, along with the COO of Saitec Offshore, David Carrascosa. The day will focus on key aspects such as the Atlantic Arc Macroregion; development of transport infrastructures; green hydrogen; offshore wind energy; and tourism.
About the Atlantic Arc Chambers
The Chambers of Commerce of Northern Portugal, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Burgos, Navarra, Basque Country, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine signed in Bilbao, in June 2023, the Declaration of the Atlantic Arc Chambers of Commerce, aiming to create inter-chamber and inter-institutional cooperation mechanisms to work jointly on economic, social, and environmental challenges faced by the Atlantic Arc regions. Since the first conference, two more have been held, in Porto and Oviedo, in February and July 2024, respectively. Progress was made in identifying common interest topics, drafting a strategic document, and incorporating public administrations and other institutions into the project. The strategic document defines three priority work areas, of common interest to all territories:
- Transport and Intermodality
- Promotion of the Atlantic rail corridor
- Support for intermodality and connectivity of the Atlantic Arc Ports
- Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Corridor
- Development of the hydrogen corridor
- Offshore wind energy
- The Camino de Santiago as a Structuring Element
- Wine tourism
- Leisure, nature, and wellbeing activities
The Atlantic Arc Chambers aim to generate synergies around these work areas to transform the territory, making it more competitive, sustainable, dynamic, open, and connected; as well as more attractive and with higher quality of life for its citizens.