By the end of the 1980s, however, Oeiras began to constitute its own economic pole in the Lisbon metropolitan area, concentrating its development on tertiary activities linked to science, investigation, information technology and communications. At the end of the 20th century, the municipality became known for its high standard of living, leaving behind its image as a suburb of Lisbon and assuming an important position as a centre associated with new technologies (with the establishment of various technology parks, such as Taguspark and LagoasPark) and service industries. The elevated standard of living and work allowed the region to obtain several awards, including the "Melhor Concelho para Trabalhar" ('Best Municipality to Work'), "Município de excelência" ('Municipal Excellence' Award), European Enterprise Award and the ECOXXI Award.