Ricardo Marfim dos Santos

Tecnovia Angola was established in 1992. What role has the company played in the development and growth of the country and its people?
Essentially, it has actively participated in the construction of the country. Since its foundation, in 1992, it has focused on the public works sector, having been involved in several construction and regeneration projects in the most diverse areas, from infrastructures and works of art (roads, bridges, tunnels, etc.) to civil construction projects. We can say that we are part of Angola’s history.

Your business began with infrastructure projects and you’re still doing so today. Are we talking about many public works?
Yes, we are clearly a public works company, but also a civil construction company. Most of our work is in the public sector. We have built hundreds of kilometres of roads, bridges, viaducts, ports and airports. In short, a little of everything that can be considered to be within the public sector and which has a direct impact on people’s lives. We like to feel that communities benefit from what we do. 

What is Tecnovia’s past, present and future in Angola?
There is a common bond right across the timeline, which is trust. Our clients feel they can trust Tecnovia. We want our good name to last and for us to be recognised as a credible and quality company. As to what it will become, only the future will tell, but I believe we will grow sustainably. We are not only focused on growth in terms of size, but also on the consolidation of our strengths and values, so that the process of continuous improvement has a strong representation among our stakeholders.

What is your assessment of the last two years, bearing in mind that we are talking about two pandemic years? And how has Tecnovia got through the COVID-19 crisis?The effects of the pandemic are still being felt. However, we have learnt a great deal. I think it has also brought us something positive, despite all the negative connotations associated with it. They were critical moments, especially for those who lost human lives. Fortunately, we did not have any losses to report. We learned to deal with change abruptly, which brought us other skills and left us better prepared to deal with adversity. We had to adapt quickly and this ability helped us to overcome difficulties swiftly. Now, it is a fact, it has affected us negatively in terms of business. There has been considerable withdrawal of public investment, and Tecnovia, operating practically in the public sector, ended up suffering these consequences. However, we have stood firm. A Tecnovia Angola foi constituída em 1992. Que papel tem assumido a empresa no desenvolvimento e crescimento do país e das suas gentes?Essencialmente, tem participado ativamente na construção do país. Desde a sua criação, em 1992, tem-se focado no setor das obras públicas, tendo participado em diversos projetos de construção e reabilitação nas mais diversas áreas, desde infraestruturas e obras de arte (estradas, pontes, túneis, etc.) a obras de construção civil. Podemos afirmar que fazemos parte da história de Angola.  Iniciaram a atividade com obras de infraestruturas e assim se mantêm até hoje. Falamos de muitas obras públicas?Sim, somos claramente uma empresa de obras públicas, mas também de construção civil. Atuamos maioritariamente no setor público. Construímos centenas de quilómetros de estrada, pontes, viadutos, obras portuárias, aeroportuárias. Em suma, um pouco de tudo o que encaixa no setor público e que impacta diretamente na vida das pessoas. Gostamos de sentir que as comunidades beneficiam daquilo que fazemos. O que foi, é e será, a Tecnovia em Angola?Existe um elo comum e transversal à linha do tempo que é a confiança. Os nossos clientes sentem que podem confiar na Tecnovia. Queremos que o bom nome perdure e sejamos reconhecidos como uma empresa credível e de qualidade. Aquilo que será, só o futuro nos dirá, mas acredito que cresceremos sustentavelmente. Não estamos focados apenas no crescimento em termos de dimensão, mas também na consolidação das nossas valências e valores, para que o processo de melhoria contínua possua uma forte representatividade junto dos nossos stakeholders.   Que balanço faz dos últimos dois anos, tendo em conta que falamos de dois anos pandémicos. E como superou a Tecnovia a crise da COVID-19?Os efeitos da pandemia ainda se fazem sentir. No entanto, aprendemos muito. Penso que também nos trouxe algo positivo, apesar de toda a conotação negativa associada. Foram momentos críticos, sobretudo para aqueles que perderam vidas humanas. Felizmente, nós não tivemos qualquer baixa a registar. Aprendemos a lidar com a mudança de forma abrupta, o que nos trouxe outras valências e nos deixou mais bem preparados para lidar com as adversidades. Houve a necessidade de nos adaptarmos rapidamente e essa capacidade ajudou-nos a superar as dificuldades com agilidade. Agora, é um facto, afetou-nos negativamente em termos de negócio. Houve um desinvestimento público considerável, e a Tecnovia, atuando praticamente no setor público, acabou por sofrer essas consequências. Contudo, mantivemo-nos firmes. 

«People enjoy what we do»

What are your major projects in Angola? And in which provinces are you most present?
We are currently present in eight provinces, but we are able to operate in any of the 18 provinces. We have already been present in some where we are not today, and we will certainly be in others where we have never been. We have a capacity to mobilise and internal resources that enable us to set ourselves apart from most of the competition. We have carried out projects that people identify with as soon as we talk about them, both inside and outside Luanda. One of those projects is the once famous «Ponte Molhada» (a new bridge over the River Cambamba), which, although not the most complex, is familiar to everyone. We are currently working on a very important project, the inauguration of which is scheduled for this year, the Talatona Junction – a road interchange with two tunnels and a large roundabout, which will radically overhaul traffic in Luanda. This is an extremely important project for the city and also for the country. Along the way, we have worked on other equally important projects. By way of an example, a bridge in Cuito Cuanavale, Cuando Cubango province, where the biggest military clash of the Angolan civil war took place, or the construction of Manuel Quarta Punza Airport, in Uíge.

In terms of human resources, how do you go about training your employees?
Tecnovia currently has about a thousand employees in Angola. About a hundred are non-Angolan, but the idea is to gradually reduce the foreign workforce ratio. Internal training for our Angolan employees is a priority. We have signed cooperation protocols with the engineering faculty of Agostinho Neto University and with RETFOP – a project run bythe Camões Institute Portuguese Co-operation programme, with funding from the European Union, aimed at stimulating technical education and vocational training. The idea is to establish bilateral co-operation in order not only to absorb final-year students, but also to contribute and share, in technical terms, our knowledge and experience.
It has not proved easy to recruit national or non-Angolan technical staff. We have hired employees who were trained in Angola and others in Portugal, but we have noticed that there is a growing difficulty in retaining staff, especially those trained in Angola. There are gaps that need to be filled urgently, which is why I believe companies play a fundamental role in training and in cooperation with teaching entities.

You also support cultural and social initiatives, mainly associated with education. How do you deal with the social problems that surround you as a company in Angola?
We cannot remain indifferent to the place where we operate. Although we have European cultural roots, because we are part of a Portuguese group, we operate in Angola and consider ourselves to be an Angolan company. As such, we believe that the company should play an active role in terms of social responsibility. It is our duty to contribute to the direct benefit of communities, not only through the projects we undertake, but also through our knowledge, our personal effort, on behalf of people and, in some cases, on a voluntary basis. We have been doing it for years, to improve human and educational conditions, but we don’t make a big show out of it, we don’t publicise it, because what really counts is the intention and commitment to doing it. 

What is your opinion about this new war crisis in Europe that is causing an escalation in the prices of raw materials and even shortages?
In Angola this is a paradoxical question. Although prices are already being felt in imports on the European markets, Angola is still heavily dependent on oil revenues, with oil prices rising at the moment. In other words, if on the one hand we suffer the consequences of imports being more expensive, in terms of sea and air transport, on the other, the country will tend to gain from the rise in oil prices. It is therefore not possible at the moment to predict, in the short term, what might happen, either in Angola or in our business, not least because I prefer to maintain a neutral opinion, in which we lose out on the one hand, but on the other we may eventually see a boost to the economy that allows the state to increase its public investment.

Do you think the Angolan market values criteria such as construction quality, energy efficiency, sustainability and innovative technical solutions?

I would say that it is beginning to consider these factors as somewhat essential. These issues are already being viewed with the naturalness with which they are dealt with in Europe. Angola is still a young country, just under 50 years since its independence, and therefore any change that occurs in a more developed market is practically immediately imported into the country. There is, however, a long way to go. Regardless of this, our principle, in the case of Tecnovia, is to apply industry standards recognised worldwide. We are a certified company, we operate in markets where quality is an unquestionable condition, as well as sustainability, which increasingly has a fundamental importance in the economy. I remember that, 20 years ago, concerns about safety and the environment were still only just emerging. In Angola, these concepts are fully assumed, and we understand that there is still much to be done. Whoever invests in the implementation of these components, whether they are companies directly linked to these areas or companies that, like ours, use them as a form of support for their management, is certainly on the right track.

And how do you see Tecnovia ten years from now?
Certainly, as one of the most recognised, not necessarily in terms of size, but in terms of credibility, the quality of what we do, the commitment of our employees. We know that the image of a company is transmitted in the first instance by our employees, so if we don’t manage to pass on our message, our culture and our way of being in the market, we certainly won’t be able to pass on this credibility to the client.

And who is Ricardo outside the world of managing Tecnovia?
 I’ve always disputed the idea that people are workaholics, but I do find myself working – as I live alone in Angola (my family is in Portugal) –, in my few moments of free time, - which are practically limited to dinner time and weekends -, between visits to construction sites and answering emails. I end up not having any time set aside to do sport or socialise, as I spend most of my time working or thinking about work. When you do what you love, you lose track of time. And the fact that my family is far away gives me the opportunity to focus on work. Sometimes I find myself sending messages at eleven o’clock at night.