Traditionally associated with port, industrial and energy activity, the region is now beginning to integrate a new technological dimension. The Start Campus project demonstrates the scale of this opportunity, but also raises a fundamental question for regional development: will we be able to transform a large technological investment into a more diversified, qualified and competitive local economy?

According to Colliers, Start Campus maintains authorisation for a total capacity of 1.2 GW and, in partnership with Nscale and Microsoft, has announced plans to install tens of thousands of processing units for artificial intelligence. These numbers place Sines among the Portuguese locations with the greatest potential to host large-scale digital infrastructures. However, authorised capacity and planned equipment should not be confused with facilities that are already operational. Implementation will depend on the execution of the projects and the technical conditions necessary for their operation.

The true economic impact of these investments should not be assessed solely by the value of the construction or the installed computing capacity. Data centres require engineering, maintenance, security, telecommunications and critical infrastructure management services. They can also stimulate training, research and technological development activities. But these benefits do not arise automatically. If equipment is imported and specialised services are contracted mostly abroad, a relevant part of the economic value may not remain in the region.

That is why I consider it essential to develop an economic strategy around these investments. Sines should seek to attract supplier companies, establish partnerships with educational institutions and create conditions to train specialised professionals. It will also be necessary to plan the impacts on housing, mobility, services and local infrastructure. Economic growth only represents true territorial development when it improves the opportunities available to populations and strengthens the productive capacity of the region.

Portugal needs international investments and must recognise the importance of projects capable of putting the country on the European technological map. However, the ambition cannot end with the installation of large data centres. It must include the creation of knowledge, qualified employment and new business activities. Sines has the opportunity to add a digital dimension to its industrial and energy vocation. The success of this transformation will not be determined only by the megawatts installed, but by the ability to build an economic ecosystem that continues to generate value far beyond the buildings themselves.

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