Agenda 2025/2028

Currently underway is a pioneering project initiated by .PG in 2012, focused on analysing the impact of emerging technologies on employment and social cohesion in Portugal and the European Union. The project combines social science methodologies with investigative journalism.

Its central objective is to create a historical memory archive that will enable future assessment of how closely the actual trajectory of events aligns with the expectations, concerns, and predictions expressed by key figures in the development of the European project.

The creation of such an archive before the outcomes are known represents an unprecedented and innovative methodological approach. It allows for the collection of visions, fears and anticipations of elites during a period marked by strong technological uncertainty (2012-2025), with the aim of comparing them retrospectively against actual developments. In essence, it constitutes a deliberately constructed time capsule.

So far the archive comprises 96 interviews (with an average duration of 60 minutes), conducted with high-ranking members of the Vatican hierarchy (Roman Curia and pontifical organisations), provosts of the Holy Houses of Mercy, former ministers, chief executives of companies listed on the PSI-20 and veteran figures of journalism. The full archive is scheduled for publication in 2030, coinciding with the moment of global evaluation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This approach—both historical and forward-looking—seeks not only to document interviewees' perspectives on the ethical dilemmas of digital transformation, but also to establish a critical framework for assessing how far these anticipated challenges manifested in societal practice.

Current Year Themes

As part of its strategic mission, .PG working groups are focusing on the following thematic areas during the current year:

1. Local power and autonomy of localities Analysis of municipalities' role in managing competencies decentralised from central government, alongside the challenges of administrative and financial decentralisation. The objective is to identify the conditions necessary to promote greater accountability and efficiency in the exercise of local power.

2. Local power, social sector and regional press A study of the dynamics of articulation between municipalities, civil society organisations, and regional media. The objective is to map the channels of information and social mediation at the local level, and to assess the role of the regional press in shaping public opinion and sustaining the vitality of community life.

3. Portugal, Europe and regulatory policies for internet and Blockchain A comparative analysis of legal frameworks and digital policies in Portugal and the European Union, focusing on emerging technologies - particularly internet governance and blockchain-based systems. The objective is to identify regulatory trends, technical challenges, and opportunities for the development of sovereign digital governance.