The PT2030 community support framework will provide 20 million euros for investment in teleworking spaces in the interior regions of the country, said today the Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa.

“The idea is to continue this network of telework spaces in the interior and, we have already foreseen, as soon as possible, the next community framework, just for a first phase, an amount of 20 million [de euros] to basically make some investments that these spaces, that this network that is already set up needs and for the next ones who want to join”, said today Ana Abrunhosa, in Guarda.

The minister was speaking to journalists in the Mountain Village of Videmonte, in the municipality of Guarda, where she participated in the inauguration of a ‘cowork’ space, promoted by ADIRAM – Association for the Integrated Development of the Network of Mountain Villages.

According to Ana Abrunhosa, in the next community framework, the Government will continue “to give priority” to the creation of telework spaces, especially in the villages in the interior and border territories, which “today do not have that characteristic” of only “farmers living there” , or people from the pastoral”, but where“ computer engineers, writers, industrial ‘designers’ live and work, who coexist with the farmers, with the shepherds”.

The government official also referred that the concept of Mountain Villages is one of the examples of “what good is done in the interior territories” to “give life back” to villages.

“Today, in many of these villages we have not only tourism, but also people who are not of Portuguese origin.

The president of ADIRAM, José Francisco Rolo, recalled that the network covers 41 villages in the Serra da Estrela and Serra da Gardunha and unites nine municipalities.

Today, an association inaugurated the Espaço Cooperativa ‘Cowork’ in Videmonte, which operates in the former shelter of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park.

He added that on Friday an identical space will be inaugurated in Lapa dos Dinheiros (Seia) and, next month, another one in Alpedrinha (Fundão).

“We have the ambition of having, in 2022, eight ‘cowork’ spaces operating in rural areas, to accommodate people, so that they can come and revitalize the villages,” said the leader at the inaugural session of the Videmonte space.

On the occasion, the mayor of Guarda, Carlos Chaves Monteiro, said that the project inaugurated today in his municipality is “a magnificent example” of the collaboration between the local and central administration and regional development associations.

The mayor valued the new ‘Cowork’ Cooperative Space for “bringing people to the interior”.

The president of the Junta de Videmonte, Afonso Proença, told Lusa that the municipality invested around 10,000 euros in the project, which is “an important work” for a parish that will soon benefit from the construction of the Mondego Walkways.

The work is part of the country’s rural ‘coworks’ network, within the action program of the Mountain Villages Network, and was promoted by ADIRAM in partnership with the Parish Council of Videmonte and the municipality of Guarda.

The space can accommodate four people and five people working simultaneously.

The village of Videmonte, which is about 20 kilometers from the city of Guarda, is located in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park area.