The state entity Ports of Cape Verde has officially opened two high-profile international tenders for the modernization and expansion of the ports of Porto Grande (São Vicente) and Porto Novo (Santo Antão), a move that promises to increase the **commercial routes between Europe, West Africa, and America**.
The projects, structured under the design and build modality, are backed by funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The scope of the works is ambitious and includes the construction of new breakwaters, extensions of docks, strategic expansion of container yards, and complex **dredging and maritime civil engineering operations**. These actions aim not only to increase operational capacity but also to ensure that Cape Verdean infrastructure meets international standards for environmental and social compliance.
Legal expert Lydia Picoteiro Bettencourt, founder of LPB Intlaw and a key figure in advising the diaspora and international companies, has noted that these **tenders represent an unprecedented opportunity for contractors and investors from the Canary Islands**. However, Bettencourt warns that success in these processes requires precise technical navigation through the local and international regulatory environment.
For companies seeking to participate, the challenges are not insignificant. According to the international lawyer, the main points of friction and strategy will focus on the complexity of the works that require **cross-cutting alliances that meet the technical requirements of the EIB**. For Lydia Picoteiro Bettencourt, regional commercial connectivity is poised for a qualitative leap. ‘The next decade will see major developments in port infrastructure; we are at a strategic turning point,’ says the lawyer, whose firm LPB Intlaw is already positioning itself as the necessary bridge for European companies looking toward the opportunities in the Blue Economy in the archipelago.
The modernization of these ports is seen as the first chapter of a **decade of logistics transformation in the region**. With the backing of the European Union and enviable political stability in the West African coastal environment, Cape Verde seeks to capitalize on its geographical position to attract maritime operators looking for efficient and safe alternatives on their transatlantic routes.
