Africa-Press – Angola. The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, visited the construction works of the Luanda Science and Technology Park this Tuesday, having been informed that its physical and financial execution is above 45 percent.
The Holder of Executive Power, accompanied by several assistants and representatives of construction companies and inspection, toured areas where the future park will be built.
According to explanations from the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Maria Bragança Sambo, the project is valued at around 35.9 million dollars and began to be built in February last year, with completion scheduled for the second semester of 2025.
He added that the park will essentially have spaces for business incubation, training, scientific research, conferences, offices, meetings, printing, copying, binding and first aid, as well as green areas and a parking space.
He added that the park has a multisectoral focus and should contribute to improving the Angolan ecosystem of scientific research, development and innovation, contributing to the country’s diversification and socioeconomic growth.
He explained that the park is part of the Science and Technology Development Project and plans to support the installation of laboratories in 18 secondary schools, the training of more than one hundred teachers and 54 methodologists, as well as intellectual property and data management databases. scientific.
He added that the project also plans to guarantee close to 150 postgraduate scholarships in Portugal and Brazil and for 850 secondary school girls and sponsor 40 scientific research projects.
The coordinator of the Science and Technology Development project, Ricardo Queirós, explained that the construction of the park was 90% financed by the African Development Bank.
He stated that it contemplates the construction and rehabilitation of nine buildings that include those of the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Department of Architecture, both at Agostinho Neto University.
Ricardo Queirós highlighted that a business plan has also been prepared to guarantee the sustainability of the project.
He said that public tenders will soon be launched to purchase furniture and equipment to equip the facilities.
He informed the President of the Republic that the main constraints in the construction of the park have been the theft of materials, such as circuit breakers, and delays in the relocation of people living within the project perimeter.
The center is under construction in a space of approximately 60 thousand square meters where the National Statistics Institute operated and which covers the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Department of Architecture of the Faculty of Engineering, both at Agostinho Neto University.
The Science and Technology park has been an affiliate member of the International Association of Science Parks and Innovation Areas (IASP) since September last year.
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