Portuguese officials and business leaders travelled to Liverpool to take inspiration from the city’s iconic waterfront developments.
A 14-strong delegation from Lisbon South Bay met with political leaders and businesses involved in the transformational schemes taking place along the city’s waterfront.
The Portuguese guests used the trip to develop their thinking around their schemes as well as building further relationships with Liverpool and Wirral.
During their stay, delegates including Mayor of the city of Barreiro, Carlos Humberto, spent time with the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson and Leader of Wirral Borough Council, Cllr Phil Davies.
They discussed and viewed some of the major projects taking place in the region, including Peel’s Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters, as well as ACC Liverpool, Albert Dock and Titanic Hotel.
Mayor Anderson, said: “It’s been fantastic to welcome the delegates from Lisbon, particularly as they have chosen Liverpool due to the city’s success in developing its waterfront.
“This is a direct result of the Waterfront Forum we hosted last year, which was created to encourage and improve collaboration and knowledge sharing between waterfront cities, and at this point Lisbon and Liverpool face similar challenges.
“I know the group have had a very productive visit, and I hope this is the start of a mutually beneficial relationship between the two cities.”
Sérgio Saraiva, executive board member for Baía do Tejo, said: “We see a lot of similarities between what Liverpool is doing and what we’re trying to achieve.
“During the 1990s we experienced the closing of some large industrial facilities in Lisbon South Bay that left significant brownfield areas that we are currently regenerating.
“The great work done on the Liverpool Waterfront is an inspiring model and our vision is to transform the Lisbon Metropolitan Area into a great metropolis with two banks, open to the Atlantic.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Liverpool and other waterfront cities as we all work towards our common goals of developing our great cities.”