GROUPE IDEC has officially acquired VHM, a recognized player in the real estate sector, with 300 employees across Porto, Lisbon, and Coimbra, and 33 years of experience delivering ambitious projects across various sectors. This announcement reflects GROUPE IDEC’s commitment to expanding its expertise in Southern Europe by partnering with a human-scale company built on shared values.
VHM: 33 Years of Real Estate Excellence in Portugal
Founded in 1993 in Porto by Vítor Hugo with a team of engineers and architects, VHM now employs 300 professionals across its offices in Porto (headquarters), Lisbon, and Coimbra. The company has delivered iconic projects such as the Lisbon Metro, Coimbra Transport Network, Coimbra Oncology Institute, and Évora Hospital (the largest in the country), as well as numerous projects in commerce, industry, social and cultural infrastructure, hotels, educational establishments, offices, housing, and parking facilities – all hallmarks of VHM’s expertise.
“This integration allows us to enter a new phase of growth while maintaining what has always defined us: client proximity, technical rigor, and execution capability,” says Vítor Hugo, Founder and CEO of VHM. “We have found in GROUPE IDEC a partner whose vision, ambition, and values align with the future we want to build.”
Integration into GROUPE IDEC
The acquisition by GROUPE IDEC, a major real estate player active in France, Europe, and Asia (average annual revenue of €500M, 25 years of experience, 700,000 m² delivered each year, €1.5 billion in financed real estate projects, and over 1,000 hectares managed), reflects both companies’ desire to build a shared future in Portugal and beyond.
“With this acquisition, our first objective is to continue the work Vítor has carried out over more than three decades,” explains Patrice Lafargue, Founder and CEO of GROUPE IDEC. “We are committed to actively supporting the development of this well-reputed company in Portugal through the prestigious projects delivered by its teams. We also aim to learn from their approach and business model, while contributing our own expertise to drive innovative, technical, and decarbonized real estate development.”
A Focus on Continuity
The acquisition emphasizes continuity, with Vítor Hugo remaining at the helm of VHM to ensure stability and consistency in strategy implementation.
“We are also committed to retaining all the talented teams that are the heart of this human-scale company across its three locations in Portugal,” adds Tony Morais, Partner at GROUPE IDEC and Head of the Engineering Division.
“Together with Vítor, our goal is to leverage VHM’s strong reputation with both public and private clients. The company’s positioning is unique in Portugal, and our role is to maintain client loyalty while continuing to showcase this expertise on major public infrastructure projects and private real estate investments across commercial, industrial, tertiary, and hospitality sectors.”
Writing the Next 30 Years of VHM Together
In the short and medium term, GROUPE IDEC also aims to expand its historic activities in Portugal.
“Urban development, residential and commercial real estate, investment, energy, turnkey engineering – these areas illustrate our ability to cover the entire value chain of our clients’ real estate projects,” says Tony Morais. “This support, focused on advisory and service, will be further developed by VHM for its current and future clients. It represents a complementary growth lever to sustain and write the next 30 years of the company, uniting all teams around these exciting developments,” concludes Patrice Lafargue.