The European Commissioner Elisa Ferreira and the Minister Ana Abrunhosa were present at the launching ceremony of the works of the future headquarters of Mértola Biological Station.

The Estação Biológica de Mértola - Centro de Valorização e Transferência de Tecnologia (EBM) is a valorisation and technology transfer unit focused on the areas of environmental biology and biodiversity, agroecology, wild resources management and hunting.

Its main objective is to support and promote scientific research and technology transfer to support (agro)ecological transition strategies, focusing on the regeneration of ecosystems, particularly those located in low density contexts, semi-arid and arid Mediterranean climate, vulnerable to desertification phenomena and climate change.

For European Commissioner Elisa Ferreira, "This project is special" and "we increasingly need projects like this so that Europe is a Europe for all and not a Europe for a few". She also added that this is a visionary project, a great example of intelligent strategy for territorial cohesion, combining attraction of investors, transmission of knowledge, investment, job creation, heritage preservation and involvement of all and society in general.

On the other hand, for the Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa "this project shows how well we are investing the cohesion funds" and "we hope it will be an inspiration for other territories", reinforcing the message by saying that it is "necessary to multiply examples like EBM in Portugal, as well as "not giving up" and "always believing that there are no doomed territories".