A public–private partnership (parceria público-privada) is a long-term contract where the public sector hires a private company to build, operate or maintain public infrastructure while the state pays over time. For the Algarve Central Hospital this matters because the initial investment is reported at more than €420 million but the total charge to the state will be about €1.1 billion, meaning taxpayers fund construction and long-term service payments (often over 20–30 years) rather than a one-off public purchase.