Porto Digital Technology Park

Porto Digital’s long-term vision is to become the best environment for innovation and entrepreneurship in ICT and the creative economy in Brazil. Its main strategic aim is to have 20,000 people working in highly skilled activities and to add value to 400 innovative ventures by 2020

Porto Digital occupies a total area of 149 hectares in the state capital of Pernambuco, encompassing the whole of the island Recife neighbourhood and a block of the Santo Amaro district. The limits of the park, however, expanded to the interior of the state in 2014, and Porto Digital also operates the ‘Armazém da Criatividade’ (Creativity Warehouse), situated within the city of Caruaru’s fashion centre.

The park project undertook the urban regeneration of the Recife district, which has an eclectic architectural heritage of diverse colonial, industrial and modern styles and has benefited from investment of R$ 90 million towards urban renovation over the last decade. Municipal, state and federal legislation, and the active participation of the public sector, have facilitated and stimulated private investment, with the goal of developing a world-class business environment.

Porto Digital complements existing regeneration initiatives in the city, demonstrating that it is possible to combine technology development with preserving a city’s history and culture. The park has restored several outstanding buildings, adjusting the infrastructure of the area to welcome modern companies, while preserving its architectural characteristics.

Several corporate buildings in the surrounding area of the island and of the Santo Amaro district house the Porto Digital technology companies, a bank district, public and government agencies, a shopping mall, notaries, law firms, accounting firms, publicity agencies, marketing and communication agencies, training centres, reception halls, dozens of restaurants, cinemas, theatres and art institutions.

In Caruaru, Porto Digital operations give support to a fashion chain as well as to design and games initiatives, besides the information technology sector.