CABO VERDE’S ‘TECH ISLANDS’ VISION, SUPPORTED WITH $50M

THE ATLANTIC ARCHIPELAGO HOPES A NEW TECH PARK WILL ATTRACT DIGITAL INDUSTRIES, AND EVEN TEMPT SOME OF ITS DIASPORA TO RETURN HOME

Cabo Verde officially unveiled its ‘TechPark CV’ this week as the island nation seeks to become a hub for digital services. The project, which is supported by a €45.59m ($50m) investment from the African Development Bank, aims to create up to 1,500 jobs on the island of Santiago and at a smaller campus on São Vicente.

In interview with African Business, Pedro Lopes, Cabo Verde’s secretary of state for the digital economy, described TechPark CV as the “cornerstone” of the country’s digital transformation strategy. The park includes a data centre in Santiago, along with training and conference facilities and an ‘incubation centre’ designed to support start-up businesses.

“Its role is to foster innovation, attract investment and support local start-ups and create high value jobs, especially for our youth,” says Lopes. He adds that the government is looking to reduce its dependence on tourism and “position Cabo Verde as a competitive player in the digital economy.”

Cabo Verde is not a necessarily an obvious location for a regional tech hub. The country comprises 10 islands lying around 600km off the West African mainland, and boasts a population of little more than 500,000.

But Lopes insists the country’s island location and small size can work to its advantage.

“We believe that we can be a hub in the Atlantic, and we believe that being small doesn’t mean not being relevant, because being small in the world of technology also means being fast in our decisions, and we believe we can be flexible and faster than the others.”

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