LISBON, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Isaltino Morais, Mayor of Oeiras, a town on the outskirts of Lisbon, said that 's decision to open a technology hub in Oeiras marks the "launch of a new cycle," according to Portuguese Lusa News Agency on Wednesday.

Morais was reacting to an earlier announcement made by Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa at the Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Costa revealed that Google would be opening a new office in Oeiras in June, creating 500 skilled jobs, many of them in the field of engineering.

The new center will be a technology hub serving Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It will be located within the Lagoas Business Park, which is already home to international companies such as Oracle, Philips and Samsung.

"The initiative proves that Oeiras is now the primary location of technology firms' headquarters in Portugal," said Morais.