Arcos de Valdevez launches contest to create laboratories in Gerês

A Câmara de Arcos de Valdevez opened today a public tender to transform two secular houses of Branda São Bento do Cando, in the parish of Gavieira, Peneda Gerês National Park (PNPG), into laboratories to support a scientific station.

This project involves, among other partners, the Chamber of Arces de Valdevez, in the district of Viana do Castelo, and the Biopolis association, to promote research, development and innovation in the fields of natural, social, cultural and economic sciences in the PNPG, in the reservation of the Biosphere Transboundary Gerês/Xurês and in the Atlantic region.

The brand of Saint Benedict do Cando, where transhumance was once fulfilled (seasonal change of farmers and their flocks to places that offer better conditions during part of the year), will become a modern science station, an investment estimated at 4.5 million euros.

The public tender today published in Diário da República (DR), with a basic price of €980.742.45, provides for the requalification of two houses to host scientific laboratories.

The term of execution of the contract shall be 365 days.

In addition to the laboratories, the remaining properties transferred by the State to the municipality will be transformed into auditorium, in the former forest house, accommodation for PhD students and researchers, artistic residence, among others.

Biopolis is coordinated by a consortium that brings together the Centre for Research in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO) of the University of Porto, the University of Montpellier, in France, and the Porto Business School.

The protocol for the creation of the scientific brand was signed in August 2022, between the Câmara de Arcos de Valdevez the Associação Biopolis (CIBIO-inbio, University of Porto), the Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Territorio (IGOT) de Lisboa, the Centro de Estudos Geográficas da Universidade de Lisboa, the Instituto Politécnicos de Bragança e Viana do Castelo, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, the Universidades de Lisboa, do Minho, in Braga, Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Santiago de Compostela and Vigo, in Galicia.