Porto on the radar for shared service centers
Portugal strengthens its position as an attractive market for the implementation of international companies, due to factors such as its strategic location, quality of national human resources, the climate of political stability, and social peace, robust infrastructure of connectivity and innovation, and digital transition.
This is one of the conclusions of the study "Portugal on the Radar of Business Service Centers (BSC): the Attractiveness of the Real Estate Market, Edition 2021", prepared by Savills, which highlights as proof of this attractiveness the recognition of several international awards, which "have placed Portugal as a top destination for investment in multiple sectors, especially by foreign investors, who show a growing interest in positioning themselves in our country." It also highlights the education system, with more and more internationally recognized institutions.
Shared service centers are growing, responding to the companies' need to optimize resources, ensuring maximum levels of productivity at more competitive costs, safeguarding the quality of the production process.
According to Savills, our country has a total of 175 centers of this kind. Data from AICEP show that, in these centers, 85% of employees are of foreign nationalities. Also, in the last five years, there has been an annual growth rate of 14 percent in the number of centers in the country.
In Porto, the occupation by technology companies is significant compared to other sectors. Uber, Revolut, Prozis, or Farfetch are just some of the companies that opted for this location. The investment in human resources in the North region in the area of technology increased and Porto is today one of the most attractive European cities to visit, live and invest in.
Savills foresees the entry of 100,000 square meters of new office space in Porto by 2022, in a total of 18 projects: "This market will see its stock grow, thus ensuring its competitiveness vis-à-vis European capitals that are positioned as destinations with the potential to receive international occupants seeking strategic locations to establish, relocate or expand their centers of operations."
