In Madeira you are never more than a few paces from the sight and sound of the sea. Crashing Atlantic breakers have shaped the islands’ history and character as much as its coastline, bringing pirates, slave traders, merchants and famous voyagers from Christopher Columbus to Captain Cook.

Madeira is also home to Portugal’s international shipping register, Mar. But it was the competitive advantages offered by the International Business Centre (IBC) more than its maritime location that brought the register to the region.