Diversification of diversification. This is the base of the most ambitious project of the Andalusian hotel chain Fuerte Hoteles, willing to build a City of Knowledge in Marbella (Málaga) where residential offer (dwellings, hotels, etc) shall combine with services aimed to attract technology companies, especially nanotechnology ones. Its name, Marbella Tecnópolis, and the foreseen investment in the short term will amount to almost 1,000 millon Euros.

So it was explained by the responsible members of the company at the last meeting held by Plataforma 2i at El Rompido (Huelva). Fuerte Hoteles is willing to build a space where to mix residential use with productive use (scientific, technological, business and advanced services), on an estate of 400 hectares between Marbella and Ojen. This model has already former references such as the complex Sophia Antipolis, in Nice, (France), located on a 2,000 hectares estate with 1,350 companies and some 35,000 workers. As in Marbella, Nice was a very well known tourist area the name of which helped for attracting projects. Other examples are Aspen (USA) and Davos (Switzerland).

The Marbella Tecnópolis idea was born under the agreement reached between Fuerte Hoteles and the company Principia Technology Group –spin off of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)–, whose foundation shall be opened at the park as well as an innovation centre with a nanotechnology laboratory. The directors of Fuerte Hoteles believe that this technopolis could attract other starting projects which will find this the ideal frame where to develop themselves.

In short, the aim is to attract nanotechnology companies, advanced material companies, information and communication technology companies, renewable energies or biotechnology, as well as public institutions, whose directors and staff shall live within the technopolis. The technopolis shall have advanced telecommunication infrastructure and services, companies incubator, congresses facilities, hotels, health and education centres, offices…

The estate has already been purchased by Fuerte Hoteles –its purchase price amounted to 218 million Euros–, but the project is nowadays in a stand by situation due to the present revision of the Marbella Zoning Plan. Its promoters are at present promoting the initiative and looking for public and private support, and reckon that the technopolis will have 300 companies and between 8,000 and 10,000 workers at full operation, out of which 60 per cent shall live in the technopolis, i.e. some 21,000 persons.

In fact the company is going to hold a meeting called Nanomeet, in Marbella on 15th June, the aim of which is to show business men and scientist the business possibilities offered by nanotechnology. Fuerte Hoteles itself is interested in investing in this field, hence its support for the creation of Marbella Tecnópolis.

SUPPORT

Fuerte Hoteles origins date back to 1957 when José Luque opened Hotel El Fuerte in Marbella. Upon his death in 1984, his wife, Isabel García, took over the business and later on his children joined her. At present Fuerte Hoteles has six hotels located in Conil, Grazalema, Marbella, El Rompido and the Mayan Riviera (México), and the construction of the Calaceite resort in Torrox is under project, apart from the project of a new hotel in Almuñécar. Last year’s turnover was 42.6 million Euros and obtained a gross profit of 12.5 million Euros. Its priorities are diversification and keeping on increasing productivity and the quality of the service rendered, based on the key factor of innovation (for instance there is an internal ideas contest for the personnel) and the formation and motivation of the staff made of 558 workers.