Cape Verde opens groundbreaking tech hub, ambitions to establish itself as the "Tech Islands of Western Africa"
Cape Verde Launches TechPark CV, a Digital Innovation Hub Connecting Africa, Europe, and the Americas
Cape Verde has officially launched TechPark CV, a €45.59 million technology hub that aims to position the country as a strategic hub for emerging technologies and a digital innovation bridge connecting Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The project, which is nearly 2% of Cape Verde's GDP, is supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and backed by ECOWAS, with a focus on driving regional digital transformation.
Located in Praia (Santiago Island) and Mindelo (São Vicente Island), TechPark CV spans two campuses and offers state-of-the-art facilities, including coworking spaces, training centres, conference halls, and high-speed connectivity. The hub can host up to 1,500 workers and is designed to position Cape Verde as a regional digital powerhouse.
The launch of TechPark CV featured speeches from Cape Verde's Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva and AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, along with a key panel that included ex-French Minister Elisabeth Moreno and senior executives from the global tech sector. Over 300 companies, including Intel, Microsoft, and Smart Africa, attended the event.
Carlos Monteiro, President of TechPark CV, emphasized that it's not just about building a digital hub but fostering a community where technology drives economic growth and sustainable development. The project aims to attract international companies, support startups, and create jobs, particularly for young entrepreneurs and the population connected to diaspora networks.
TechPark CV is part of Cape Verde’s broader Digital Nation strategy, which includes legislative and financial frameworks designed to empower youth and female entrepreneurs and accelerate the development of startups and digital businesses. The hub serves as a business, research, and technology development center and a critical ecosystem component fostering innovation and competitiveness in the country’s economy.
The anticipated potential impacts of TechPark CV include job creation (around 1,500 jobs), empowerment and acceleration of startups in sectors such as fintech, digital content platforms, and remote working hubs, enhancing Cape Verde's positioning as a digital innovation bridge and gateway for technology between continents, encouraging investment and collaboration across sectors, raising the country’s innovation capacity and competitiveness, and positioning Cape Verde as a potential launchpad for African startups.
In addition to its strategic location, TechPark CV's mid-Atlantic location and the Cape Verdean spirit of morabeza (hospitality) make it an attractive destination for companies and startups looking to expand their operations in Africa. The project offers tax breaks, including a 2.5% corporate tax rate and VAT/import tax exemptions under its ZEET (Special Economic Zone for Technologies) designation.
With its focus on fostering a community of innovation and entrepreneurship, TechPark CV is poised to play a significant role in Cape Verde’s ambition to develop a robust digital economy that leverages its geographical position and diaspora connections while generating socio-economic transformation through technology and entrepreneurship.
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