According to the order published today in the Diário da República (Official Gazette), the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation authorises the transfer of the 4,632-square-meter plot, located in Praia Norte, for 30 years.

The document states that establishing surface rights entails a fee approved by Estamo (the public company managing state real estate assets); the municipality may choose between paying an annual instalment of €21,240 or a single lump-sum payment of €326,500.

The new facility, representing an investment of €5.1 million, is intended for the Sustemare Association—a Technology and Innovation Centre for Ocean Energy and Technologies.

The North 2030 Regional Program will fund construction, with the Municipality of Viana do Castelo covering construction and project supervision costs.

UPVC will handle the architectural and technical designs—an investment of €123,000—while Sustemare will manage equipment acquisition and review the project.

Sustemare was formally established last July; UPVC Rector Carlos Rodrigues chairs its board of directors, with the Mayor of Viana do Castelo, Luís Nobre, serving as the first board member.

Once construction is complete, the Viana do Castelo City Council will hand over management of the building to Sustemare.

UPVC previously explained that Sustemare “was created with a clear mission to drive the sustainable transition in ocean resource exploitation through the integration of science, technology, and economics.”

The centre “will structure its activities around Blue Energy, Ocean Technologies, and a core unit for Complementary Activities and Services, with a special focus on minimising the environmental impact of maritime infrastructure.”

The “operations of this new technology and innovation centre will be closely linked to the business landscape—particularly companies already established or currently setting up in the ocean energy sector—as they face technical, logistical, and environmental challenges inherent to the marine environment.”

The “structure includes specialised laboratories, an industrial facility, and a team of approximately 40 highly qualified professionals by 2030, working in coordination with the resources of the founding scientific partners.”

The “expected impact on the Viana do Castelo region is significant, ranging from the creation of skilled jobs and talent attraction to the repositioning of the area within the new ocean economy, in alignment with emerging value chains at both national and European levels.”

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