Who we are
The Beato Innovation District, an initiative of the Lisbon City Council, is the main innovation district of Unicorn Factory Lisboa, playing a central role in the city's strategy to create a network of internationally renowned innovation hubs.
Launched in 2016 as the Hub Criativo do Beato, transforms into the Beato Innovation District during 2024, keeping pace with the growth of the strategy to position Lisbon as a leader in innovation internationally, while preserving the four pillars defined during its conception - Entrepreneurship; Creative Industries; Innovation and Knowledge; Startups, Scaleups and Global Companies.
Located between Lisbon's historic center and the modern Parque das Nações area, this project, with approximately 50,000 square meters of construction area and 13 completed buildings, already has over 1,000 jobs and more than 15 organizations in the areas of innovation, creativity, education, and gastronomy.
It is expected that, after the completion of the rehabilitation works on the remaining buildings, it will provide at least 3,000 jobs and, in addition to being home to Unicorn Factory Lisboa, will be an epicenter of innovation, thus constituting one of the largest entrepreneurship projects in Europe.
Development Model
The economic development and sustainability plan stipulates that the Partners are responsible for the rehabilitation of the buildings, aiming to reduce public investment, accelerate project development, and adapt the spaces to the needs of the projects to be installed. The Partners, chosen based on areas of action, fully finance the rehabilitation and adaptation of the buildings. The Municipality is responsible for ensuring essential infrastructure and the rehabilitation of outdoor spaces.
The buildings remain public property and are leased to Partners under long-term lease agreements. Depending on the nature of the project, these partners may also allocate the space to companies seeking workspace, known as Residents. Developers begin paying for the use of the space after recouping their investment, benefiting from a grace period. The management and curation of the space are the responsibility of the managing entity, and, in the future, the costs of programming, promotion, management, and maintenance will be shared by the Partners based on a cost per square meter.
History
In the past, the parishes of Beato and Marvila were part of a rural area dotted with convents and manor houses overlooking the Tagus River. The industrial revolution replaced this quiet landscape with factories and machines working tirelessly, transforming the way people lived in the neighborhoods.
After the Convento das Grilas, Manutenção Militar was founded in 1897 with the aim of producing and supplying food to the Portuguese troops. Having fulfilled its mission for 118 years, it gives way to the new and great changes of the 21st century, today, in the Beato Innovation District.
Timeline
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At the former Quinta do Grilo estate, Queen Dona Luísa de Gusmão fulfilled her wish to found two convents of the Order of Saint Augustine, which became known as the Grilos Convent and the Grilas Convent.
The Grilas nuns took out a loan of 3,000 cruzados for works on the convent and the construction of a modern warehouse by the river with a loading dock. However, in 1856 they had to sell it to pay off the debts and interest incurred on the loan. This warehouse is part of one of the most charismatic buildings in the Beato Innovation District, with its stone arcades, and is now Claranet's innovation center in Portugal.
© Armazém das Grilas - Unicorn Factory Lisboa's archive / André Vieira
1663 - 1885
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On June 11, 1897, the Military Maintenance was founded by decree of King D. Carlos with the objective of producing and supplying food to the troops, becoming dependent on the Ministry of War and subordinate to the Military Administration.
At the beginning of the century, the large-scale industrialization of the project was put into practice, where, in addition to milling, bread, pasta and biscuit factories, the canning industry, sugar refinery, slaughterhouse and sausage factory, coffee milling, wine processing and tablet factory (compression of sugar, coffee, salt and chocolate for transport in military campaigns) developed.
© Bread Factory - Archaeological Archive EGEAC / Lisbon Museum
1897
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The end of the steam era as the driving force of the complex is marked by the construction, in 1921, of a power plant to supply energy to all the factories. This industrial-style building is now the home of Browers Beato.
© Power Plant - Archaeological Archive EGEAC / Lisbon Museum
1921
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The installation of the electric clock in the main building facing Rua do Grilo was an important event, as it helped to mark time and the workday in the factories. It originated as a convent, later became a residence for army officers, and soon it will be marked by the digital nomad movement of the future Coliving project of the Beato Innovation District.
© Clock Building - Archaeological Archive EGEAC / Lisbon Museum
1932
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After serving in two major world wars and undergoing technological, logistical, and social renovations, the Military Maintenance faced, with the Colonial War, an exponential increase in men on campaign and in the war theater, forcing it to work 24 hours a day to meet the needs. During this period, approximately 9 million Combat Rations were produced, distributed in the war effort and the opening of branches in the Portuguese colonies of Angola, Guinea, Mozambique, and Timor.
© Packaging of animal feed for shipment - Archaeological Center Archive EGEAC / Lisbon Museum
1961 – 1974
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The Military Maintenance supermarket and minimarket chain emerged throughout the country, selling products manufactured in the factories to military personnel and their families. The Beato supermarket was the second to open and the last to close, in 1993, its space now being transformed into the headquarters of Claranet's innovation team in Portugal.
© Supermarket - Archaeological Archive EGEAC / Lisbon Museum
1961 – 1974
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The construction of the large grain silos, 40 meters high and with a total storage capacity of 10,100 tons, stands out in the landscape and identifies the Beato Innovation District from afar.
© Large Grain Silos - Archaeological Archive EGEAC / Lisbon Museum
1974
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The 25th of April Revolution, the end of the Colonial War, and the end of compulsory military service in 1993 significantly reduced the need for large production capacity. The tons of products that daily left the factories no longer had an outlet or were consumed, leading to the obsolescence of the powerful machines and a decrease in production, culminating in the progressive closure of the factories. The last to close was the Bread Factory, in 2011.
© Bread Factory - Archaeological Archive EGEAC / Lisbon Museum
1974 – 2011
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With the closure of the Military Maintenance facility in 2015 and the arrival of the Web Summit in the city, an agreement was made between the Portuguese State and the Lisbon City Council to transfer the South Wing of the Military Maintenance facility for 50 years, for the implementation of a project focused on innovation, technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Thus, the Hub Criativo do Beato was born, conceived, implemented, and managed by Startup Lisboa, with the mission of contributing to the city's positioning on the international innovation map.
© Hub Criativo do Beato - Unicorn Factory Lisboa archive / Carolina Mayer
2016
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After the Lisbon City Council acquired the South Wing of the former Military Maintenance facility from the Portuguese State in 2021, and Lisbon was named the European Capital of Innovation in 2023, Unicorn Factory Lisboa, driven by the ambition to create innovation districts with the aim of positioning Lisbon as a leader in innovation internationally, reflects this growth in the project as well, transforming it into the current Beato Innovation District.
© Beato Innovation District - Unicorn Factory Lisboa archive / Carla Pires / Helena Duque
2024
Entrepreneurship
Creative Industries
Innovation and Knowledge
Startups
Scaleups
Global Companies
Entrepreneurship, Creative Industries, Innovation and Knowledge, Startups, Scaleups, Global Companies
Contacts
Open
every day
from 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM
Address:
Rua da Manutenção 71,
1900-500 Lisbon, Portugal