Construction of the Sagres Oceanography Centre, a centre for research and education in marine and earth sciences, located close to the Porto da Baleeira, will get underway by the end of the year, despite the fact that the funding for the 20 million euro project is still not totally guaranteed.

Forty per cent of the amount needed to build the centre will come from EU funding, but further financial support is still being sought by the Fundação Oceanis, the entity behind the project.  

A meeting between the various parties involved in the project took place at the Civil Government offices in Faro earlier this week, in order to discuss the current situation relating to the financing and future management of the centre. Great confidence was shown in the belief that there is interest from private companies to work side by side with the public entities to develop the centre. The tender for the building job has already been launched and the results will be announced shortly.

By the end of this year, work will begin on the site at Ponta da Atalaia, which includes the construction of an aquarium dedicated to marine wildlife, a feature within the museum area that will also boast various thematic sections dedicated to the water cycle. The Sagres Oceanography Centre will also house a small auditorium.

The centre is expected to open to the public at the end of 2008.

source: the resident