Immigration is at the top of the agenda in Portugal, particularly at the political level, and is one of the central topics of discussion during the campaign for the 2026 Presidential elections, whose second round takes place this Sunday (February 8, 2026). One of the sectors in urgent need of labour, particularly foreign labour, is the construction industry, given the many projects currently under way (or planned) in the country. At the forefront, of course, is the pressing need to build and rehabilitate housing in order to respond to the housing crisis. Without beating around the bush, Carlos Alberto Mineiro Aires, executive director of the Construction Foundation, states plainly: “Without immigrants, we cannot live. Not only in construction, but in all areas.”
In an interview with idealista/news, Carlos Alberto Mineiro Aires, former president of the Portuguese Order of Engineers and former president of the Higher Council for Public Works (CSOP) — which remains without a president and whose relevance is currently being analysed by the Government — talks about the creation of the Construction Foundation, which was publicly presented in the summer of 2024 and formally recognised at a Council of Ministers meeting in October 2025.
At stake is an organisation that brings together three professional associations (engineers, architects and economists) and 14 of the largest national construction and project companies. Namely:
A400 | Engineering Designers and Consultants;
Alves Ribeiro Construção;
Betar Consultores;
Casais – Engineering and Construction;
Coba – Engineering and Environment Consultants;
Conduril – Engineering;
Edivisa (Grupo Visabeira);
Gabriel Couto – Construções Gabriel A.S. Couto;
HCI – Construções;
JLCM – J.L. Câncio Martins – Structural Design;
Mota-Engil Engineering and Construction;
NRV – Engineering Consultants;
Teixeira Duarte – Engineering and Construction;
Ventura + Partners;
Construction Foundation
Carlos Alberto Mineiro Aires, executive director of the Construction Foundation
Credits: Gonçalo Lopes | idealista/news
What lies behind the creation of the Construction Foundation?
The foundation is the result of a convergence of wills among its founders: three professional associations — the Order of Engineers, the Order of Architects and the Order of Economists — and 14 construction and design companies. There was a shared understanding that there was a gap to be filled, which led them to decide to establish the foundation.
What led the founders to take this decision?
Portuguese engineering and architecture need, especially during a period of major investments, a vision of their importance, both for the country’s economy and in terms of dialogue with the Government. Because construction can be seen and approached in a different way. I am not saying to influence, because that is not the purpose, but to raise awareness of a series of issues. The accumulated knowledge of all the founders is important so that we can contribute to society.
The foundation must have a completely different focus from that of a business association. That is the path we are on. The statutes are very clear regarding our remit. First and foremost, [the creation of] an Observatory. This is an aspect that interests us: understanding what is happening, how it is happening, and how it could or should happen. Information is invaluable.
[Furthermore] I do not want to be misunderstood, but there is excessive regulation that leads to bottlenecks. For example, regarding public procurement, we do not argue that it should be abolished or not used — quite the opposite. Transparency and competition are fundamental. But when we have a Public Procurement Code that has already been revised 15 times, it is clear that something is wrong, and there is no one who disagrees with this. The Government itself agrees. Now, changing this is a very complicated process, but we are also contributing input.
“The housing problem we have cannot be solved without strong private-sector intervention, and companies are willing to help, provided there are clear rules.”
There are issues that concern us, and one of them is housing. We ourselves, in the period between 2024 and now, have not been idle. We have been developing proposals both for public procurement and for housing. The problem we face cannot be resolved without strong private intervention, and companies are willing to help, as long as there are clear rules. There is a minimum requirement: a model in which those who bid guarantee the financing, there is a concession, and maintenance is also guaranteed so that, at the end of the concession, the housing stock is not degraded. And rents must be such that the model works with relatively affordable rents, lower than those currently advertised, because €2,300 is an excessive rent in Portugal.
Regarding the creation of a Construction Observatory, what steps have already been taken?
We are working on it and collecting information. The information cannot be exhaustive, because that is impossible. In fact, if we look, for example, at the Base Portal, where awarded contracts are published, we see that in many procedures, from the opening of a tender to the completion of a project, the full cycle is not recorded. Therefore, we do not want to draw hasty or incorrect conclusions due to lack of information. One of the tasks we are carrying out is to define exactly what information grid interests us and to adjust it accordingly. But it is undoubtedly important to have insight into the status of awards, execution, initial and final prices, and levels of litigation. Litigation, both at the award stage and during construction, is high, leading to delays and cost overruns. These are the kinds of information we want to compile and make publicly available.
Architectural plans
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Is there a scheduled date for this observatory to be made public?
I will be very frank: as soon as possible. But we will not take a step without being certain of what we are doing and of the reliability and credibility that an observatory of this kind must have. We cannot start off on the wrong foot and try to correct things later — losing credibility is very difficult. We want to ensure that the Observatory provides reliable and credible information.
Is the lack of qualified labour in the construction sector a concern? How does the foundation view this issue?
It is one of our focuses, and thank you for raising the question. We have two areas of action. One is attracting and preventing the loss of talent. The number of Portuguese engineers who have gone abroad… I would say that housing is the main obstacle to preventing this, but we must promote the return of those who left because they had no conditions here. Today, there is a shortage of professionals in Portugal, particularly civil engineers. There is a serious gap, and it is therefore important to retain them here. Moreover, alongside this, another phenomenon has occurred: site managers are, I would say, an endangered species. What happened? Engineers ended up taking on the role of site managers and now perform two roles: what they used to do as engineers and what they now do as site managers. The other aspect — and this is undeniable — is that without immigrants, we cannot live. Not only in construction, but in all areas.
“Today there is a shortage of professionals in Portugal, particularly civil engineers. There is a serious gap, and it is therefore important to retain them here. At the same time, another phenomenon has occurred: site managers are, I would say, an endangered species.”
We are experiencing a demographic recession, so we need a plan for this. In fact, companies — some of which are part of the foundation — have lines of action in this direction, because we can perfectly well bring people in, especially Portuguese speakers and Spanish-speaking workers, but under certain conditions. The first is that they must be trained, and therefore there must be training schools to provide knowledge and adapt them to how work is done in Portugal. On the other hand, we must ensure housing for these people. In fact, on construction sites there is a new paradigm, which is to create accommodation conditions for workers, because we have reached a point where… we cannot work with people living in unacceptable conditions in containers, etc. That is not dignified, and we do not identify with it.
“Without immigrants, we cannot live. Not only in construction, but in all areas.”
Another important issue is wages, which are only not higher because project owners also believe that awarding contracts cheaply is a good thing. And that is a tremendous mistake. It does not encourage quality, nor does it encourage contractors to have proper staff and pay them decently. In the end, we are all deceiving ourselves. This is a cycle that inevitably leads to disaster.
You mentioned the importance of the private sector in boosting the construction and rehabilitation of housing. Are Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) also part of the solution to the housing problem?
PPPs are an excellent solution anywhere in the world. In Portugal, PPPs have been confused with criminal cases. If there were PPPs carried out with objectives other than solving a national problem — to be clear, to make money in various ways — that is corruption, parallel business dealings, and therefore a matter for the courts. We are talking about social cases where companies need support and where solutions must exist to solve problems. Housing is one such case. Therefore, as long as there is a clearly defined framework that is followed and supervised… we cannot leave these things unchecked. There must be entities to supervise and monitor them, etc.
PPPs, to answer the question, are excellent. Who is responsible for arranging financing? The private sector. Who manages resources in the most efficient way so as not to lose money? The private sector — and they are not interested in losing money. And who benefits? The public. So define the rules of the game and play.
Engineers
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Do you therefore consider investment in PPPs to be crucial for increasing the supply of housing in the country?
I do not see how we can get out of this without going down that path. Both the previous and the current governments have made major commitments to housing programmes, but building houses is a three- to four-year cycle. It is torture. If we follow the usual paths — securing land, licensing, etc. — and especially if there is a need to change municipal master plans, then we will never get out of it… We are facing a serious crisis, so a response must be found.
Are companies already investing in BIM technology?
BIM is a very serious gap in Portugal, which is lagging far behind Europe in civilisational terms. It should be mandatory, and companies are prepared for it.
There is another serious issue in Portugal: energy poverty in housing. The housing stock is degraded. There are 70 million homes that are in ruins, lacking basic habitability conditions. People are cold in winter and hot in summer, and when a “little breeze” comes along, it becomes clear that most of them… this is because construction is old, deficient, etc. These are the aspects that concern the foundation, and there is a lot to be done.
Will the much-desired reduction of VAT in construction, from 23% to 6%, help increase housing supply and lower final prices?
I will speak as a citizen. We all know that this has been a long-standing desire of those involved in this issue. I do not want to be pessimistic, but I believe that the limits it imposes [homes sold for up to €648,000 or rented for up to €2,300 per month] will allow for some opportunism. It is a good measure — we are talking about saving 17%. But given the constant increase in construction costs per square metre, which can jump from one month to the next, this saving will be absorbed. This is not inflation; it is often speculation, and speculation eats up that increase. In conclusion, it is a good measure if there is proper monitoring and control, particularly regarding costs. There is no regulation in these aspects.
“[VAT reduction in construction] I do not want to be pessimistic, but I believe that the limits it imposes (homes sold for up to €648,000 or rented for up to €2,300 per month) will allow for some opportunism.”
I understand that the market works, but there are several markets in Portugal. There is one for foreigners, who do not look at costs or prices and want to buy the best. And we have done excellent things — I closely follow competitions and urban rehabilitation awards, and there are fantastic projects — but they are not for Portuguese buyers, perhaps only for some. Then there is an intermediate market, the upper-middle segment, which Portuguese buyers can reach. And then there is the market around €600,000, which already represents a major financial effort for many families. We need to see how we can leverage this so that it results in real savings, which I confess I do not see.
Modular construction
Modular construction project in Lisbon
Credits: Gonçalo Lopes | idealista/news
Is modular construction also one of the paths to follow to bring more homes to the market more quickly? Do you agree with this view?
Obviously, that is the path forward, because this type of construction is well developed. In the past, if we thought about building this way, we would say: this will be a breeding ground for dampness and water will leak everywhere. That is no longer the case — there are technologies and solutions. Another thing I cannot fail to mention: the other day, some rules were changed, and one of them was the elimination of the requirement for bidets. It may seem humorous, but it is not. Today, at the limit, a house like this can be sold as open space, as long as there is a water point for the kitchen and one for the bathroom, and a sewage outlet for each. The interior space can then be shaped as desired.
“Modular construction? Obviously, that is the path forward, because this type of construction is well developed. In the past, we would have thought it would suffer from dampness and leaks everywhere. That is no longer the case — there are technologies and solutions.”
And another question I ask: is it necessary for all buildings to have garages? That dramatically increases housing costs. What is needed are public transport solutions.
We were talking earlier about the importance of immigration for construction. Could the ‘green lane for immigration’, implemented in April last year to speed up the hiring of foreign workers, also be important for the sector?
It is good that companies are the ones opening the “green lane” and that they know exactly who they want and how they will integrate and prepare them [the workers]. Companies are interested in doing things the right way. What we cannot allow is for the “green lane” to be a wide-open door. People must be welcomed and integrated properly and with dignity.
The Government has announced several measures related to housing, but there are also developments in public works, such as railways and the new Lisbon airport…
For now, the focus should be on housing. Then there are two priorities. One is railways, where we are far behind Europe in civilisational terms, and the other is the much-discussed airport, which I hope will finally move forward.
Carlos Alberto Mineiro Aires, executive director of the Construction Foundation
Credits: Gonçalo Lopes | idealista/news
Mobility is also an important issue when talking about housing. Are the two interconnected?
It is also an incomprehensible problem. People have been pushed out of cities, and every day 350,000 to 400,000 cars enter Lisbon. How do they expect to prevent this? How can anyone think of stopping cars from entering Lisbon, Porto or other major urban centres when there are no alternatives? For someone living on the South Bank or in the northern outskirts of Lisbon, life is a torment. These people get up at 6:00 a.m., have to drop their children off at school, daycare or with grandparents, and then go to Lisbon. They face endless traffic jams. If they are a couple, by the time they arrive in Lisbon they are already arguing. In the afternoon, they return, but still have to shop, go to the supermarket, etc. What quality of life do these people have? And if not by car, how are they supposed to do this? By public transport? There are none. We are a country that forgot to evolve. If people live in the outskirts and jobs are there, fine. But if they move to the outskirts because they can no longer afford to live in Lisbon and must return there every day, without public transport, it is a disaster.
Do you believe that with the creation of the foundation this message can reach the Government with greater impact?
One of the foundation’s objectives is precisely to be another voice, and we believe in that. And there is another point: you cannot want to have a country without having a direction. When a new government comes in, especially if it is of a different political colour, everything done by the previous one is questioned. That is the worst thing that can happen. If we do not have a direction in Portugal — and direction is political — I am not saying there needs to be a regime pact, but there must be a shared will. Regardless of how to get there, it is about knowing where we want to go.
The foundation brings together three important professional associations. Will this help give it a strong voice in the construction sector?
I believe so. The associations are modern; they are not trade unions. In fact, trade union activity is completely prohibited for professional associations. They cannot speak about salaries or fee tables; what they can do is defend the quality of the work carried out by their members, to whom the State has delegated regulation, because professional associations do not exist on their own initiative. They lend credibility to these matters.
Despite having been officially established only recently, at the end of last year, has the foundation already been consulted by the Government?
Minister Miguel Pinto Luz attended the public deed, and since then the door has been open. We have had no difficulty at all in scheduling meetings, presenting our views, and sharing opinions. In that respect, it has been productive for both sides, because we do not want to impose our views — we simply want to help where we can and, obviously, be critical where we believe we should be, because there is a lot that needs to change.