Angolan President João Lourenço, alongside several Angolan ministers, officially opened the Luanda Science and Technology Park, a project aimed at boosting education, research, innovation and the economy in the country. TYPSA was responsible for supervising the works, which involved the construction of approximately 16,500 m² of new facilities and the refurbishment of around 9,100 m² across several existing buildings. Representing TYPSA at the ceremony were Luis María Navarro from the Africa Regional Management, Pablo Mosquera, a collaborating architect at TYPSA, and Joaquín Beltrán, the project manager.
This project is the result of almost three years of close collaboration between TYPSA and Angola’s Ministério do Ensino Superior, Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, through the project coordinator, Ricardo Queirós, and his team. Throughout the process, TYPSA has been supported by its local partner, Eng. Consult, whose involvement has been key to the coordination and supervision of the works, contributing to the successful execution and completion of the complex.
The Park has marked a turning point in Angola by providing both the country and its surrounding area with a world-class research centre on a regional scale. This complex, comprising nine buildings, includes new architecture and engineering schools, a state-of-the-art auditorium with a capacity for 250 people, a technology business incubator, a scientific library and laboratories within the refurbished National Centre for Scientific Research. It also features offices, a retail area, restaurants, a research greenhouse and sports facilities, amongst other buildings. Furthermore, the buildings demonstrate a strong commitment to the environment by incorporating renewable energy sources such as solar panels and charging points for electric vehicles.
The urban planning intervention enables much smoother connectivity between the various buildings. There is a central square where the most iconic buildings are located, and an internal ring road that connects both vehicles and recreational areas, as well as a cycle path, thereby also facilitating much more sustainable mobility within the surroundings.
The construction was led by the company Pan China, which, despite the project’s complexity and the challenges of its execution, effectively coordinated the building process, managing to complete this park in a record time of three years.
With the opening of the Luanda Science and Technology Park, Angola is taking a giant step forward in strengthening its higher education and research system, strengthening a space designed to foster innovation, technological development and the training of future generations.
