France’s Bouygues Construction haș been selected to design and build a 562-bed hospital in Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, for the country’s ministries of health and public works.

Located on the site of the current Clinical Centre of Montenegro, the hospital will contain 19 surgical theatres including 14 for adults and five for children, 117 intensive care units, an accident and emergency department, a laboratory and research facilities, a library and a lecture theatre.

Montenegro is a seismically active region so Bouygues will use engineering features such as post-tensioned slabs.

The new hospital is aiming for LEED Silver environmental certification and to meet nearly zero-energy building standards.

Philippe Jouy, Bouygues Bâtiment International’s chief executive, said: “This is an ambitious project that will directly benefit the residents of this country as well as the wider region.

“In close collaboration with our client and partners, we are committed to creating a high-performance university hospital that will support changes in healthcare practices, teaching and research in Montenegro for many years to come.”

Construction is due to begin in 2027 and will proceed in stages so as not to disrupt the existing clinic’s operation. 700 workers will be on site during peak construction.