Hub Criativo do Beato (HCB) is an innovation centre in the heart of the Beato neighbourhood. HCB is emerging in a complex of decommissioned factories. It is a space for open innovation where work, leisure and culture intertwine. Its ultimate goal is to instil interaction between different types of people and industries – entrepreneurs, freelancers, start-ups, scale-ups and large companies – thus creating a dynamic, innovative and creative community. The HCB economic model, designed by Startup Lisboa, assumes that the renovation of the buildings is the responsibility of the selected tenants. This is to reduce the need for public investment, speed up the development of the project, and fully align the adaptation of the spaces with the requirements of its future users.
HCB is being developed in the former Manutenção Militar factories, located between the historical city centre and the modern district of Parque das Nações. The military facility produced uniforms and other goods for the Portuguese Army. After the industrial activities ceased at the start of the 21st century, the enclosed 18-building complex left a large, deserted gap in the Beato neighbourhood. This gap influenced the economic and social fabric of the neighbourhood, turning it from a flourishing industrial area into a deprived and deteriorating neighbourhood [1;2].
Nowadays, three buildings in the complex have recognized heritage status. With Hub Criativo do Beato, the area is being revived socially and economically while respecting the industrial heritage of the location. The 18-building complex, and a total area of 50.000 m2, is being renovated and re-used [1].
Hub Criativo do Beato (HCB) is a space for open innovation directed towards creative and technological companies. HCB has two primary goals. Firstly, to contribute to developing the neighbourhood’s and the city’s economy by building a new centrality. Secondly, to transform a derelict industrial complex into a focal point for promoting entrepreneurship and creativity. HBC is to become an international entrepreneurship hub that attracts and retains talent and projects in the area, benefiting the local community and the city as a whole. [1] The hub is estimated to create three thousand new jobs. [1;2]
Startup Lisboa, a non-profit incubator in charge of the project, hosts and assists entrepreneurs, start-ups and technology-based scaleups- supporting them in developing their business while creating a dynamic, innovative and creative community. It aims for a diverse mix of partners and residents. Some of these are well-known brands that reinforce trust in the HCB initiative. The partners include global companies such as Factory, one of the largest European incubators (with Berlin origins); the Super Bock Group, with a space to promote the creative industries and a craft brewery – Browers Beato; Praça, innovative food retail focused on Portuguese products and producers; and Casa do Capitão, an open and inclusive space for cultural, artistic and entertainment programs. Furthermore, from 2022 on, Claranet, the largest information technology provider in Portugal, will concentrate its operations at HCB, developing new areas associated with Cybersecurity, Cloud, Data Science, Workplace and Training. [4]
Additionally, HCB has different projects, one of them being the Hub Criativo do Beato Living Lab (HCB LL). HCB LL aims to develop new technologies and services to promote the sustainability of HCB, contribute with good practices to mitigate the impact of climate change and support the creation of an innovation ecosystem for urban transformation. [5] The initiative will implement demonstration projects to test their potential for replication in a real urban environment. One of those demonstrations will occur through the “Beato BioBus” project. The Beato BioBus project seeks to promote sustainable mobility in the city of Lisbon, creating a bus route powered by Zero Diesel. Beato BioBus promotes the circular economy by transforming cooking oil into biofuel for the busses that will serve the area. [6]
The creation of Hub Criativo Beato (HCB) was initiated by the City Council in 2016 and is linked directly to the city’s economic and innovation strategy. [2;3] The City Council has invited a private, non-profit incubator named Startup Lisboa to develop and manage the hub. StartUp Lisboa was initially founded in 2011 in a public-private collaboration between the Lisbon Municipality, Montepio Bank and IAPMEI (Portuguese Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation). An entrepreneurial incubator was one of the most voted ideas in the 2009/2010 Participatory Budget of the City Council, making the foundation of Startup Lisboa in line with the local community’s wishes. Startup Lisboa is appointed to design the project concept of Hub Criativo Beato and manage and promote the site. Startup Lisboa is also in charge of selecting partners and residents that can contribute to the innovative character of the site. [1;2]
The City Council has, up until now, invested approximately €18.000.000 in Hub Criativo Beato. Of this, €12.300.000 is spent on the 18-building complex bought to the Central Government. Next to that, approximately €4.200.000 has been spent by the City Council on necessary infrastructural, renovation and maintenance work. The HCB Living Lab initiatives are co-financed in about 40% by EEA Grants, with a global investment of about €2.000.000. [5]
The partners and residents on-site also invest in (re-)adapting the existing spaces and infrastructure. In return, these organisations do not have to pay rent until their initial investment is recovered. This model aims to reduce the need for public investment, speed up the development of the project, and ensure complete alignment of adaptation of the spaces with the requirements of future users.
This case is also featured in the HUB-IN Business and Financing Model Guide.
This guide provides you with a state of the art overview of business, financing and governance models, relevant to the heritage-led regeneration of Historic Urban Areas.
Hub Criativo Beato, organisational website, hubcriativobeato.com/, accessed on 21-05-2021
Lönnervall, S., & Sundell, M(2018)Hub Criativo do Beato – For whom by whom?: A narrative study of global entrepreneurial and creative urban practices in the eastern riverside of Lisbon (Dissertation)Retrieved from urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-232860 on 18-01-2022
Lisbon, Economy and Innovation Strategy, available on www.lisboa.pt/cidade/economia-e-inovacao/entrada, accessed on 21-05-2021
Claranet invests in a new office concept and innovation in the Beato Creative Hub, in Lisbon, available on hubcriativobeato.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Claranet-at-HCB-PTENG.pdf accessed on 30-01-2022
Presentation of Hub Criativo do Beato Living Lab Project’s Operations, available on hubcriativobeato.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021.05.27-PR2_Hub-Criativo-do-Beato-Living-Lab-PTENG.pdf accessed on 30-01-2022
Beato Biobus project unites CARRIS and PRIO to decarbonise urban transport, available on hubcriativobeato.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/BEATO-BIOBUS-CARRIS-PRIO-PTENG.pdf accessed on 30-01-2022