The strategic commitment is based on the international collaboration in emerging technologies and in the strengthening of the technological entrepreneurial network of UTEN.
The collaborative research will focus on four flagship themes: the integrated approach of the areas of the Atlantic International Research (AIR) Center, which are Space, Climate, Earth and Oceans, advanced computing, nanotechnology and medical physics. Portugal will continue to invest in the impact of the transformation of science in technologies of great international value, maintaining the collaboration with the UTEN (University Technology Enterprise Network) network.
The reinforcement in advanced computing, which is a part of the UT Austin | Portugal program since the beginning, aims to give Portugal all the necessary resources for digital modelling and data science in order to promote space research and Earth observation and, this way, to explore the most valuable assets of the country, namely in the areas of the new AIR Center.
On medical physics, the focus is on the collaboration with the MD Anderson Cancer Center for the qualification and training in nuclear technology of high-energy protons with a view on promising cancer treatments. When it comes to nanotechnology, a new research and innovation policy is established that aims at an integrated approach for the development of new and complex materials for new markets.
There are nine companies that will also support and collaborate with the UT Austin Portugal program, namely: Abyssal, Deimos Engenharia, Edisoft – a software development and services company, Graphenest, Companhia IBM Portuguesa, Omnidea, Petsys Electronics – Medica Pet Detectors, Tekever and Wavecom Soluções Rádio.
José Manuel Mendonça, Chairman of Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC) and Professor at FEUP, will be in charge of the administration of the project in Portugal while in the USA, John Ekerdt, Associate Dean in Engineering at the University of Texas in Austin will be the one responsible.
Being active for ten years, the international partnership UT Austin| Portugal has received over 300 postgraduate students, over 100 researchers of approximately 50 different universities and research institutions and 13 affiliated companies. The PhD programs established in Digital Media, Advanced Computing and Applied Mathematics have already graduated more than 50 new doctorates in Portugal. The UTEN initiative has created a direct economic impact of over EUR 318 million, of which EUR 72 million in venture capital drawn by national enterprises in the USA and EUR 133 million of exported technology.
Tomorrow, 16 February, a workshop promoted by the UT Austin|Portugal program will be held at UPTEC. The welcome session will be at 10:30 AM, being led by Rui Oliveira, Member of INESC TEC’s Board and Professor at the University of Minho and Marco Bravo, Executive Director of the UT Austin Portugal program.
The first workshop will start at 11:00 AM and it will focus on advanced computing, the second one will start at 1:00 PM with the nanotechnology theme and the last one, starting at 2:00 PM, will be based on space research and Earth observation. John Ekerdt will close the session at 4:00 PM.
For more information:
Sandra Pinto
UT Austin Portugal communication
T +351 22 209 4000
communication@utaustinportugal.org
