Six individualities who distinguished themselves, whilst agents of innovation throughout their lives and in the exerecise of their activities, were decorated by the President of the Republic in Óbidos, where the 3rd Campaign of the Route to the Local Innovatory Communities, held in the North of the Western Region, was concluded.

The decoration ceremony was held during a closing and tribute paying session, with the presence of representatives of the communities of the counties located in the North of the Western Region, and during which President Aníbal Cavaco Silva delivered an address.

On the occasion the following individualities were decorated (in brackets the orders and the degree of the respective insignia): Dr. Luís Manuel da Silva Rosa, author (Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator; Dr. José Gonçalves Sapinho, former Member of Parliament and former Mayor of Alcobaça (Commander of the Order of Merit); Master Luís Ferreira da Silva, ceramist (Commander of the Order of Merit); Professor Rogério Manuel Dias Cação, President of CerciPeniche and Speaker of the Peniche Municipal Assembly (Commander of the Order of Merit), Leonel da Silva Gomes da Costa, entrepreneur and President of CEFAMOL-National Association of the Die Industry (Grand Officer of the Order of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Merit); and João Jorge, General Manager of ICEL-Indústria de Cutelarias da Estremadura, S.A. and member of the Entrepreneurial Council of the Leiria Region (Commander of the Order of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Merit, Class of Industrial Merit).