Projects
HIBRIMAC
The HIBRIMAC project is part of the MAC 2007 – 2013 Program for European Territorial Cooperation. European Territorial Cooperation was established as one of the three objectives of the Structural Funds for the 2007-2013 period, thereby reinforcing what has historically constituted the INTERREG community initiative. The goal of European territorial cooperation is to strengthen transnational cooperation based on the experience of the previous programming period through actions aimed at achieving integrated territorial development consistent with European Union priorities.
Regarding cooperation within transnational zones, the European Commission analyzed the utility and effectiveness of the areas defined in the context of INTERREG III B Azores-Madeira-Canary Islands and redefined them, maintaining the transnational cooperation space of the Madeira, Azores, and Canary Islands archipelagos. This same geographical scope was preserved as the zone had proven sufficiently coherent and continued to share common interests and possibilities that could be developed during the 2007-2013 period.
Accordingly, the cooperation space for the Madeira-Canary Islands-Azores Transnational Cooperation Program (MAC 2007-2013) includes the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and the Azores, as well as the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. One of the primary lines of intervention proposed by the program is cooperation with third countries within its geographical and cultural zone, as was developed during the 2000-2006 period with Northwest Africa and Latin America.
The overall objective pursued by the strategy adopted by the Program is to increase the levels of development and socioeconomic integration of the three archipelagos by fostering a strategy based on the promotion of the knowledge society and sustainable development, while improving socioeconomic integration within the cooperation space and with countries in its geographical and cultural context.
The HIBRIMAC project is composed of three partners: Cabildo Insular de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), Horários do Funchal (Funchal), and the Regional Secretariat for Housing and Equipment (Azores).
Duration: 2009 to 2012
Objectives:
The HIBRIMAC project emerged at a stage where regional development is increasingly based on the valorization of innovation and knowledge. These are seen as differentiating factors in leveraging community support—which is becoming more competitive—as part of a natural trend to optimize the significant investments made over recent decades in the construction of major basic infrastructure. Similarly, a commitment to technological updates and the implementation of systems focused on environmental sustainability is considered indispensable.
In this regard, Horários do Funchal will collaborate with project partners in researching more efficient technologies, whether hybrid or electric, and analyzing the feasibility of these technologies in a specific territory like Funchal, which is characterized by steep topography, narrow streets, and high population density.
To achieve the project’s objectives, the technical group will evaluate and debate the study of alternatives best suited to the specific context of the Macaronesian island regions participating in the Hibrimac project. The program for this knowledge-sharing platform will involve the in-depth study of the following topics:
• International market analysis of innovative technologies applied to regional collective public transport regarding propulsion systems;
• Minimum technical characteristics that vehicles must meet;
• Study of suitability and synergies that may arise from importing new technologies into already approved investment strategies;
• Financial sustainability of the innovation component;
• Comparative cost-benefit analysis by investment typology;
• Diagnosis of the logistics system for public transport fleets and estimated cost evolution over a horizon of no less than 10 years, including fueling, maintenance contracts, and warranties;
• Benchmarking performance indicators among local public transport operators; the benchmarking will also include a "contrast group" consisting of peripheral and central regions to better situate the specific challenges introduced by Outermost Regions (ORs);
• Comparative analysis of the legal and regulatory framework governing the regional collective public transport market.
Useful Links:
MAC 2007 – 2013 Transnational Cooperation Program:
http://www.pct-mac.org/
Institute for Regional Development:
http://www.idr.gov-madeira.pt/portal/
Autonomous Region of Madeira - Regional Government:
http://www.gov-madeira.pt
Partners:
Cabildo Insular de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands):
www.grancanaria.com
Regional Secretariat for Housing and Equipment (Azores):
http://www.azores.gov.pt/