For many, the pandemic has served as the trigger to launch a new life of digital nomad-ery, and one of a number of places to benefit is Portugal’s Algarve.
Lisbon has for years been the venue of choice for major tech conferences and digital start-ups. Now, the new Algarve Tech Hub is making a name for itself as one of the most exciting lifestyle tech hubs available to this dynamic crowd of wandering workers. The hub is harnessing the ‘technological fervour sweeping the country’ by providing the ideal infrastructure for digital nomads, entrepreneurs, tech investors and start-ups.
A 2020 HomeWorkingClub survey found that one in three people who aren’t currently working from home plan to change roles/employers in order to do so. These days, workers don’t need to be in the same country as their organisation. The dream of heading off into the sunshine has suddenly become a far more realistic prospect for a significant chunk of the UK workforce.
In the Algarve, it is the private, non-profit associations Algarve Evolution and Algarve STP, that are driving the 10-year strategy of positioning the region as the go-to place for workers looking for the ideal remote base, whether for a few weeks or on a more permanent basis. Algarve Evolution and Algarve STP have aggregated the region’s main Information and Communication Technologies businesses to develop and strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem. This can be seen most clearly through the creation of a technology community, under the umbrella of the Algarve Tech Hub.
“The Algarve is fast becoming one of Europe’s – indeed, the world’s – top tech hubs, attracting increasing numbers of digital nomads and remote workers. The combination of a superb year-round climate, low cost of living, friendly culture, enviable gastronomy and great internet connectivity is making the Algarve a real contender for the number one lifestyle tech hub in the world.”
Miguel Fernandes, President, Algarve Evolution
Over the past eight years, the Algarve has seen a steady increase in the number of digital nomads and remote workers entering the region. The pandemic has accelerated the pace of that growth significantly, with workers from the US, UK, Switzerland, France and Sweden among those to head to Portugal’s sunnier climes.
Fully embracing the Algarve’s potential as the number one lifestyle tech hub, Vilamoura has hosted SHARE Algarve – International Marketing and Innovation Conference, a two-day immersive networking and digital marketing experience, since its formation in 2017.
Modern communities such as Central Vilamoura have everything that remote workers could wish for. The development consists of 41 two, three and four-bedroom luxury residences from €640,000. The two-bedroom homes are ideal for home-based workers, as they provide a multi-use space that works beautifully as an office. All Central Vilamoura homes also include 1GB broadband pre-installed and free for the first year, as well as use of Vilamoura World’s new business centre. When the workday ends residents can enjoy the wider Vilamoura offering be that a stroll along the beach, playing a round of golf, running on the traffic-free paths or enjoying a meal at one of the restaurants.
For Kelly Murtagh, who moved from Ireland to Vilamoura ten years ago, the ability to work remotely meant the end to a three-hour daily commute. Being able to work from home in Vilamoura meant a superior quality of life for her and her family. She comments:
“For me, it made perfect sense. My kids are relaxed. There’s no stress and we get to spend quality time together when the working day is over.”
For more information, please call +351 914 071 129 or visit www.vilamouraworld.com