Latest news and stories about construction in Portugal for expats and residents.
This page has only 1 story and is not indexed by search engines.
Despite the conflict in the Middle East, Mota-Engil is studying a bid for the High-Speed rail project in Saudi Arabia, in partnership with local companies, covering an extension of five thousand kilometres, in phases and exclusively for public works. “We are currently the largest Western railway builder, and in that sense, we are looking...”
Investment in the construction sector grew by 5.5% in 2025, reaching 28 billion euros, while gross value added (GVA) rose by 1.7% to 9.9 billion, according to the Association of Civil Construction and Public Works Industrialists (AICCOPN). The association highlights that this positive performance was accompanied by an improvement in building and rehabilitation permits, which saw a 1.8% increase in overall volume. This result reflects a 3.3% rise in family housing permits, contrasting with a 2.7% decline in non-residential building authorisations. The licensing of units in new buildings saw a notable year-on-year growth of 20.1% in 2025, totalling 41,592 dwellings. Despite these favourable signs, AICCOPN warns of persistent pressures on production costs. The New Housing Construction Cost Index ended the year with a 4% increase, driven primarily by labour costs, which rose by 7.7%, while materials saw a more moderate variation of 0.9%. Cement consumption increased by 0.7% year-on-year, which the association considers a moderate trend consistent with the maintenance of ongoing projects. In the public works segment, 2025 was considered an exceptional year, as public tenders reached 10 billion euros, up 21% compared to 2024, and the total value of contracts reported on the Base Portal was 7.6 billion euros, a year-on-year growth of 48%. However, AICCOPN notes that January indicators show more contained figures—450 million euros in tenders (-41%) and 190 million in contracts signed (-46%). The association views this as a typical seasonal and administrative fluctuation for the month, which does not jeopardise the continuity of the investment cycle observed at the end of 2025. Construction production increased by 1.3% in January.
The CEO of Mota-Engil states that the ongoing war will affect the construction sector.
Home News Building permits for new construction increased in Portugal Building permits for new construction increased in Portugal According to statistics from the National Association of Civil Construction and Public Works Industries ( AICCOPN), Portugal recorded an increase in the number of perm
A group of researchers from the School of Sciences at the University of Minho (ECUM) is developing smart microfibres capable of regulating the temperature of construction materials, such as bituminous pavements and cement mortars for urban buildings. In the future, they could be applied in technical clothing or in the passive thermal management of satellites and aerospace sensors.
A group of researchers from the School of Science at the University of Minho (ECUM) is developing smart microfibres capable of regulating the temperature of construction materials, such as bituminous pavements and cement mortars for urban buildings. In the future, they could be applied in technical clothing or in the passive thermal management of satellites and aerospace sensors.
Home Property Senmar: The Future of Construction Senmar: The Future of Construction Senmar was founded in 2022 and was the result of a “shared dream” to build high-quality houses while always respecting the environment.
Construction output grew by 1.3% in January, with employment and wages in the sector accelerating at the start of the year, the National Statistics Institute (INE) announced this Thursday, the 12th. In the first month of the year, the construction production index grew by 1.3%, a variation 0.1 percentage points (p.p.) lower than that observed in the previous month, while employment and wages showed year-on-year variations of 3% and 9.2%, respectively. Building construction decreased by 0.4%, 0.5 p.p. less than in December 2025, while civil engineering went from a growth of 2.2% in the previous month to 2.8% in the month under analysis, according to the INE. Construction output stabilised in the eurozone and EU in 2025.
The investment planned for the next decade in public works is overwhelming: 60 billion euros. The Government has been committed to attracting foreign construction companies for projects in Portugal and suggests international partnerships, but the CEO of Mota-Engil guarantees that there is capacity in Portugal, provided there is “predictability”. “They are absolutely wrong”, fires Carlos...
Specialising in large-scale projects, Teixeira Duarte – Engenharia e Construções has created a new business unit aimed at small to medium-sized projects, the construction company announced in a statement. Through Arch, the company is strengthening its focus on the residential, industrial, and retail segments. The creation of ARCH represents a strategic step for the Group in the area of...
Mota-Engil aims to expand its concessions business into other European countries. Spain and Ireland are the examples highlighted by CEO Carlos Mota Santos, alongside Central Europe. The company also intends to return as a port operator in Portugal. The construction firm has won the first Public-Private Partnership for the Porto-Lisbon high-speed rail line, a...
High material prices and a lack of labour are threatening growth in the construction sector, according to a report by Crédito y Caución. The credit insurer warns that these two factors have a strong impact on profit margins and delivery deadlines. Regarding the issue of tariffs and...
AICCOPN reported this Wednesday, the 11th, that public works tenders promoted in January fell by 33% in quantity and 41% in value, reaching 349 tenders and 450 million euros compared to January 2024. The association highlights that January tends to see strong fluctuations. The AICCOPN Public Works Barometer also reveals that construction contracts signed and registered on the Base Portal totalled 190 million in January, a decrease of 46.1% compared to the same month last year. Contracts resulting from public tenders represented 141 million, a 56% drop compared to January 2025. On the other hand, awards via direct adjustment or prior consultation grew by 46%, reaching 36 million euros, countering the general downward trend observed in tender modalities. Public works tenders promoted in 2025 rose 21% to over ten billion.
The article reports that Mota-Engil, a prominent Portuguese construction and infrastructure company, is exploring opportunities to expand into concessions in Spain, Ireland, and Central Europe. The company aims to leverage its expertise in infrastructure projects to secure new concession contracts in these regions, aligning with its strategic growth plans. This move reflects Mota-Engil’s broader internationalization efforts and interest in diversifying its portfolio within the European infrastructure sector.
The transport company plans an alternative solution for 13 families for four months while construction work on the Ferreirinha Bridge takes place.
The government is considering legalising the status of immigrants to bolster the construction sector.
The measures are included in a report approved this Tuesday in the European Parliament.
The Secretary of State highlighted the shortage of national labour to repair public infrastructure, factories, and housing.
Among the proposed measures is a reduction of VAT from 23% to 6% for the construction of houses sold for up to 648,000 euros or rented for up to 2,300 euros per month.
The Construction Union of Portugal warned today about the dangers of rebuilding areas affected by severe weather using unskilled workers, saying the sector's large companies should coordinate and release workers to ensure the work is carried out.
The Construction Union of Portugal warns of the dangers of reconstruction carried out by unskilled workers.
Construction companies from Leiria say there is no capacity to respond to all requests to rebuild damaged homes, due to a lack of labour and a shortage of materials that already existed before the storms of the last few days and have now only worsened further. It is in this context that the president of ...
Castro Almeida announced that “large building firms will bring workers who were in other regions” to the Centre, a move that will delay other projects but is “inevitable”.
The government states that construction firms will deploy and concentrate their workforce in the areas affected, directing labour resources to where they are needed.
