“The first objective is to develop iParque, namely transforming the 3rd phase of the project, which was reserved for housing, into an industrial area”, José Manuel Silva stated at the inauguration ceremony of the advanced technology center of the multinational Accenture in Coimbra.

The president of the municipality also mentioned the necessity for an increase in areas allocated to industry, highlighting the importance of expanding the area intended for this purpose in the iParque.

“We will create a new large industrial area to accommodate larger businesses, which will require 10, 20 or 30 hectares”, said the mayor of Coimbra, who did not disclose which location is being considered for development in this new investment.

“We want jobs for all levels of training. We need to have an industrial area, to accommodate for the installation of large industries, however, Coimbra lacks the space”, explained José Manuel Silva.

After securing multinationals such as Deloitte, Airbus and Accenture, José Manuel Silva admitted “there are more companies in line”, despite a lack of offices in the city.

“We are trying to occupy all available spaces for business installations, including the Estádio Municipal, and we are challenging business people to build offices in more comprehensive projects so that we can set up companies”, he said.

The mayor noted the case of a Canadian company that is considering setting up in Coimbra, “in the area of artificial intelligence and health, which is seeking a space of one thousand square meters to begin installations”.

“There is a lack of office space in Coimbra. We have some difficulty finding available areas for this purpose”, he stressed, adding that the construction of the Justice Campus would free up spaces occupied by Torre Arnado, where Accenture is located.