Several individualities, who distinguished themselves as innovatory agents throughout their lives and in the exercise of their activities, were decorated by the President of the Republic, in Castelo Branco, during the closure of the 2nd Campaign of the Route to Innovatory Local Communities, held in the province of Beira Baixa.

The award ceremony took place during the closing and tribute paying ceremony, with the presence of representatives of the Communities of the Beira Baixa counties, where President Aníbal Cavaco Silva delivered a speech.

The following individualities were decorated (degrees and orders referred inter alia) on this occasion: Poet António Salvado (Commander of the Order of Sant’Iago da Espada); Dr. José Pereira Lopes, former member of Parliament and former President of UGT-General Worker’s Union (Grand-Officer of the Order of Merit); Dr. António Lourenço Marques Gonçalves, physician and hospital director (Commander of the Order of Merit); Mr. João Carrega Mateus Pereira, factory production manager (Officer of the Order of Merit); Prof. Doctor Cândido Manuel Passos Morgado, university lecturer and former Dean of the University of Beira Interior (Grand Cross of the Order of Public Education); and Prof. Doctor Vergílio António Pinto de Andrade, university lecturer and formerly responsible for the setting up of superior education establishments (Grand Officer of the Order of Public Education).