Research and innovation for the real world

FEUP’s central position on the map of Research and Innovation (R&I) is certainly reinforced by its privileged location – the Porto Innovation District – and the international networks of which it is part. The Innovation Centre at the Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto (UPTEC) is located nearby. This centre is a clear example of the cooperation between the academic and business worlds: several innovation teams from national and international companies are established here, involved in the development of new technologies geared towards the global market.

The establishment of partnerships with external entities enables FEUP not only to enrich its research activities by sharing ideas and experiences, but also to seek appropriate solutions to current global challenges. The Horizon 2020 Office at FEUP seeks to open new doors to our presence in European knowledge networks and to leverage the participation in and funding by European R&I framework programmes. It is a very important source of support to researchers, strengthened by another structure: the Industry Liaison Office (ILO). The ILO promotes close cooperation between FEUP researchers and the national and international industry, thus fostering competitive collaboration and access to external funding.

Countless projects demonstrate FEUP’s capacity to bring about innovation through its R&D units in conjunction with its affiliated institutes, together forming a support platform for Faculty research. Moreover, research is also boosted by the Centres of Competence, specializing in such diverse areas as Sustainable Energy, Smart Cities, Product and Service Design, Railways, Advanced Manufacturing, as well as Oceanic Research, Health Innovation and Ambient Assisted Living.

FEUP’s considerable technical-scientific potential has been applied in numerous technology transfer projects. The knowledge of university teachers and researchers has also contributed to the training and consultancy services provided to the business and public sectors, as well as to the establishment of standardized procedures that guarantee the quality and safety of products and services. incentive programmes, organization of counselling initiatives and contacts made with available companies and investors. A significant number of entrepreneurial projects, instigated by teachers, researchers and students, have given rise to start-ups and spin-offs. FEUP also leads the field in the Business and Innovation Network (BIN@) initiative. This network, created in 2010, is a joint effort of academic and industry partners engaged in a sustainable platform for sharing best practices and opportunities in innovation. BIN@ has currently around 4,000 delegates worldwide (+60 countries) and has so far organised events in Portugal, UK, Brazil, Romania and Poland.

FEUP encourages application of the academic knowledge it generates to solving real-world problems. This is achieved by establishing strong links with business and industry, thereby opening the way to building long-lasting relationships of trust. In 2018, a new initiative was launched to bring companies closer to the academy: PRIME is the name of a corporate membership programme that provides companies with real value and competitive advantages, establishing a direct connection with the sources of talent and knowledge that provide the ability to stay ahead and deliver key innovations to the market. This is especially achieved through Doctoral Research Projects with Enterprises (DoRPE), which aim to offer companies a standard procedure to initiate a research project with FEUP involving a doctoral candidate and appropriate funding. BA Glass and Advanced Cyclone Systems have joined Efacec, Kaizen Institute, Natixis, Sonae IM and Vodafone as FEUP Prime Partners and there are currently several PhD students undertaking research projects proposed by some of these companies within the scope of DoRPE.