| The IPBN is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland under the ESP Grant programme |
Following our annual St. Patrick’s Day Sustainability conference, the IPBN was led on an exclusive tour of the Hub Criativo do Beato in Lisbon and Ombria resort grounds in the Algarve to do a deep dive into what these projects are offering toward a greener future and what steps they have taken to ensure sustainability stays a number-one priority.
The Hub Criativo do Beato, one of the biggest centers of innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe, is located in the south wing of the former Military Maintenance complex in Lisbon’s Beato neighborhood. Comprised of 18 buildings that are distributed over 35 thousand square meters, this project managed by Startup Lisboa, includes work spaces, leisure areas, food and beverage services, co-living and regular cultural programming.
During the IPBN’s tour of the space, we saw first-hand what the HCB is using in terms of the best practices for environmental sustainability and preservation of its industrial heritage. The Hub Criativo do Beato and the HCB Living Lab project were born with the ambition to be exemplary in the implementation of urban strategies for sustainability and environmental resilience and to become a smart campus, and has already put into practice some game-changing initiatives in sustainability such as smart lighting, urban agriculture spaces, a circular food system, an i-Management platform, a data lab, a public transport via a shuttle between Beato and Santa Apolónia, a clean tech acceleration program, and the promotion of circular economy principles and actions in the future Co-Repair space.
At IPBN member company Ombria Resort, located near the beautiful protected landscape Fonte de Benémola, hotel guests and owners can access an organic farm, honey harvesting, walking paths, a greenhouse, two plant nurseries, and hectares of unspoilt nature. What’s more, they can access a top-notch GEO-certified golf course that was designed to be almost self-sufficient in water resources year round, utilizing biological fungal and bacterial maintenance solutions in lieu of chemical treatments to promote plant health and reduce the use of pesticides. The complex has not only built a sustainable dreamscape, they’ve added to the existing nature by planting over 1,000 oak trees, and restoring 1,800 metres of riparian habitat to its current 18,000m². Only 3% of the resort will be developed, leaving an expansive green space among olive groves and oak valleys ripe for the enjoyment of the residents when it opens next year.
What’s more, as Portugal provides 50% of the world’s cork production and 60% of exports, Ombria is using these natural materials for insulation as “Cork does not change as a result of humidity, avoiding the formation of condensation and slowing the propagation of sound, ensuring acoustic insulation,” Ombria told the Portugal Resident.
| The IPBN is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland under the ESP Grant programme |
