Following the end of the panel discussions at the IPBN’s third-annual Sustainability Conference at the CCIP in Lisbon, the IPBN has organized an exclusive tour of the Hub Criativo do Beato (HCB) in Lisbon and a tour of the Ombria Resort in the Algarve the following week. In an effort to put boots on sustainable grounds and promote the good work and green practices of our membership, these tours are aimed at showing just what possibilities are out there when it comes to green building and the promotion of a better, cleaner future.

On March 17, registered guests of the IPBN Sustainability Conference can enjoy a personalized tour of the new Innovation Hub in Lisbon with Start-up Lisboa that is sure to shed some light on how the city, its innovators, and its start-ups will be continuing the fight toward a greener future. The HCB is the home of a vibrant, inspiring, and innovative group of entrepreneurs from all over the world who are attuned to the needs of the planet and whose ideas will drive the EU Council’s 2030 agenda forward. Attendees of the tour can expect an in-depth introduction to the HCB Living Lab, whose mission is the promotion of the efficient management of resources, with a particular focus on accelerating the transition to a sustainable and circular economy, and see how the grounds themselves will facilitate the mission of those involved.

The tour of the Hub Criativo do Beato complex will begin at 3pm. Participants are asked to meet here ten minutes early to be sure to catch the start on time.

According to the HCB website, Hub Criativo is an innovation center for creative and Technological companies, [that] is emerging in a complex of decommissioned factories on the eastern riverside front of Lisbon. This former industrial area of the Portuguese Army, formerly known as the Manutenção Militar was where flours, pasta, bread, biscuits, and other cereal products were manufactured. Now it is getting ready to host over 3 thousand people from around the world who want to produce innovation…The concept defined by Startup Lisboa, which is knowledgeable and deeply rooted in the national entrepreneurial ecosystem, assumes a very concrete vision for the role of the HCB: to enhance the city as an international entrepreneurship hub without draining the existing dynamics, functioning as a pole to attract and retain new talent, new projects, and new players, to add value to the community and the country.”

The following week in the Algarve, IPBN member company Ombria Resort has teamed up with the IPBN to invite 20 pre-registered guests to an exclusive tour of the resort grounds on Wednesday, March 23 from 10h to 11h30, as part of the IPBN's annual Sustainability conference. The meeting point will be at the resort entrance roundabout here where, beginning at 10h attendees will receive a welcome coffee and hear an opening message from the IPBN, after which Ombria will make a short presentation of the timeline of development and their concept of sustainability within the resort grounds. The tour will begin at 10h40 and will last just under an hour. Registration is still open here.

The resort has decisive plans to officially open its doors in the springtime of 2023, meaning that most of its efforts can be seen in action, allowing those registered to learn more about the genuine commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency practices that Ombria has made. João Richard Costa, the Director of Sales & Marketing at Ombria will guide the tour and fill attendees in on the project's sustainable efforts. As he told the IPBN, “Our sustainable values have been guiding principles from the initial development concept through to design, construction, and operational procedures.”

For their attention to detail and work on making this endeavor truly sustainable, Ombria Resort was honored at the European Property Awards held at the Royal Lancaster in London in 2018 and 2019. It was awarded “Five-Star” status for Best Residential Development, Best New Hotel Construction & Design, and Best Sustainable Residential Development.

In a recent interview with the IPBN, the CEO of Ombria, Julio Delgado, said that the resort has been designed to take the maximum benefits from the sun to create the largest geothermal construction on the Iberian Peninsula. He said, “Seventy percent of the energy needs of the resort will be covered by geothermal methods. This means less contamination with all upcoming construction.”