Strategic Research Projects

2019 Edition

Strategic Research Projects are large-scale, cross-cutting 3-year-long projects that place Portuguese companies in tandem with research institutions in Portugal and researchers affiliated to UT Austin or the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the forefront of new research agendas with international reach.

The goal of this collaborative arrangement, which is a new addition to the third phase of the Program, is to increase the odds of research being turned into innovation with social impact and economic relevance, expanding the Program’s ability to connect with society through science and technology directly.

The elite of supported consortia – the large majority of them spearheaded by Portuguese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) – will work to shape new services, products and processes with strong global potential drawing on the resources and scientific, technological and business capabilities of Portugal and UT Austin. Many of these projects will address areas where Portugal, with the support of UT Austin, can make use of its competitive advantages stemming from its geostrategic position, natural resources and built-up know-how and capabilities to be at the forefront of innovation in a global setting.

The innovations expected to roll out of such projects include nanosatellites for earth observation; nanosensors for the rehabilitation of severe muscle injuries mostly affecting the aging population; monitoring solutions for climate change; new coating systems to significantly improve the life cycle and performance of cutting tools for demanding industrial sectors; tools for the advanced management of HPC infrastructures and Big Data applications or the monitoring of post-operative cancer patients with a high risk of relapsing.