Launch of Sines Tech – Innovation & Data Center Hub Community, building an infrastructure for Portugal’s digital transition.
The inaugural meeting of the Sines Tech – Innovation & Data Center Hub Community took place on December 15th, 2021 at the Sines’ Industrial and Logistics Zone (ZILS), in Southwest Portugal.
Government and private partner signed a memorandum for the development of an open digital ecosystem of suppliers and consumers based in Sines, where data can be collected and shared safely, in accordance with European data protection standards.
Sines Tech – Innovation & Data Center Hub aims to offer a fully integrated solution for the landing of optic fiber telecommunications subsea cables and the setting-up and operating of data centers, promoting the European digital economy and ensuring equal access to fast Internet connections in all regions of Europe.
The Sines Tech – Innovation & Data Center Hub Community brings together the relevant entities to the development of an ITC cluster, through land management, infrastructure setup, and the training of skilled technicians. They are the following partners:
- City of Sines;
- aicep Global Parques (ZILS’ managing entity);
- EllaLink;
- Fast Fiber;
- FCCN-FCT;
- IP Telecom;
- RENTELECOM;
- Sines Tecnopolo;
- START – Sines Transatlantic Renewable & Technology Campus.
Sines Tech – Innovation & Data Center Hub Community’s objective is to build an optimal environment for information exchange among partners, aiming for a more efficient resource allocation and usage, as well as cost reduction, while attracting new assets for the cluster.
This community will play its part in increasing European digital sovereignty and Portuguese global competitiveness. Under the recent Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the EU Atlantic Data Gateway Platform was enhanced by the entry into service of the EllaLink cable, co-financed by the EU. EllaLink, which connects Europe (Sines, Portugal) to South America (Fortaleza, in Brazil), is the second biggest fiber-optic subsea cable landing hub in the world and of data processing in national territory, adding value and boosting Portugal’s digital development.
Sines combines a set of competitive advantages, including the natural conditions of its deep-water seashore, land availability for data centers and ITC infrastructures, resilient HV and EHV energy interconnections grid and supply (including from renewable sources), and an abundance of industrial water usage as well as sea water intake and rejection facilities.