ZILS: Sines Industrial and Logistic Zone on the global communications map

At a glance

Spanish-Brazilian investment promotion company, EllaLink, has selected ZILS Business Center in Portugal to locate its submarine cable station. The new cable, called "Ellalink," will connect Europe and Latin America, providing a direct and wide connection between the two continents. The cable will be operational by 2019 and will lower internet service prices while increasing security of communications. The Sines station of the submarine cable will be installed in ZILS Business Center, confirming the city's status as the "Atlantic Gateway to Europe." aicep Global Parques, the national partner in supporting business location strategies, manages ZILS Global Parques in Sines.

EllaLink, a Spanish-Brazilian investment promotion company, is an underwater communications operator. The company builds and operates strategic communication infrastructures, contributing to the development of the information society.
Following a comparative analysis, the company selected ZILS to locate the submarine cable station on the ground of:

  • ZILS Business Center quality infrastructures and compatible optic fiber to meet the demanding needs of submarine cable deployment, as well as, the consistency with the long term data transmission and storage requirements,
  • The facilities at the ZILS Business Center being a good option in terms of value for money regarding security and infrastructures offer
  • aicep Global Parques assistance to the investor throughout the process, shaping space offer and contractual conditions to the specific features of the project
  • Portugal being a strategic waypoint for submarine cable routes in the South Atlantic and a natural gateway to the Iberian Peninsula and to Europe
  • Portugal being a safe country with extended use of information technologies, as well as, with qualified human resources.

The new submarine cable project, called "Ellalink", allows a direct and wide connection between Europe and Latin America, favouring the internationalization of markets. The interest of the infrastructure lays on the fact that Europe is the continent with the largest number of international connections with direct access to 75% of the contents sought by users in Latin America. The link is, thus, important for scientific collaboration projects between Europe and Latin America.

The new connection, more than 10,000 kms long, allows a direct connection between Brazil and Europe, thus, lowering internet service prices. Moreover, it will increase security of Latin America and Europe communications.

The Ellalink cable should be operational by 2019 and will connect the Brazilian city of Santos to Fortaleza, also in Brazil, and later on, over the Atlantic, to Sines in Portugal. The project has a total investment of over 200 million dollars.

The Sines station of this submarine cable, will be installed in the Business Center of ZILS – Sines Industrial and Logistic Zone, putting ZILS on the important international communications cables map.

According to Ellalink officials, "EllaLink's decision to elect Sines to receive its transcontinental submarine cable confirms the vocation of Vasco da Gama's city as the 'Atlantic Gateway to Europe.'


About aicep Global Parques
aicep Global Parques is the national partner of choice in supporting business location strategies.

aicep Global Parques manages three business parks, able to accommodate projects of different sorts and dimensions - ZILS Global Parques in Sines, BlueBiz Global Parques in Setubal and Albiz Global Parques in Albarraque, Sintra.

ZILS Global Parques – Due to the proximity to the Port of Sines, Sines Industrial and Logistic Zone has a clear Atlantic vocation with easy and fast access to national and international communication routes. ZILS Global Parques has 2375 ha dedicated to industry, logistics and services, lodging some of the largest national companies, such as Galp, EDP, Repsol, Sonae Industry and Cimpor Group.

aicep Global Parques provides procurement services for the industry and logistics in mainland Portugal with Global Find and Global Force services.

Global Find, a web platform based on geographic information systems, identifies localization solutions in mainland Portugal, suitable to the requirements of a given project and is available free of charge.

Global Force encompass tailor-made procurement services with the production of detailed reports, assistance to business set-up and support to business parks management and promotion.