NRP Portugal

Telecom, Nokia‐Siemens and Novabase within the scope of the IndustrialPartnersProgrammewhichalsoincludessomeofthemainnationalsmallandmediumsizesenterpriseswithatechnologicalbase.• Within the scope of the UTAustin‐Portugal Programme 7 , launched in March2007, the main programme areas include: i) digital contents and multimediaproductionanddistribution;ii)advancedcomputing;iii)mathematics;andiv)science and technology trade, including the design and execution of newcorporateprojectsofscientificandtechnologicalbase.ThemainjointdegreedoctorateprogramsbetweenPortugueseinstitutionsandUTAustinwillstartin2008, and the first call for applications for research projects in the areasidentified is also open until October 2008. Through the establishment of theUTEN network, University Technology Enterprise Network, the aim is also tomobilise centres of innovation and technology transfer and support for theeconomicvalorisationofscience,alreadyexistinginmostresearchandhighereducation institutions, maximising their impact in the strengthening of thescientific base and in the growth and competitiveness of the Portugueseeconomy. These activities include supporting the incubation and growth ofPortuguese technologically based companies in emerging markets in closecooperationwiththeAustinTechnologyIncubatorATI.• For the first time in Europe, it was decided to establish the first FraunhoferInstituteinEuropeoutsideGermanyinPortugal,tobelaunchedbythefacultyof Engineering of Porto University. The director was selected and appointedand the activities begun in June 2008. The competitive and internationalrecruitmentofabout30seniorresearchersisforeseenduringthefirststage.This Institute will work in the area of Information and CommunicationTechnologies,particularlyinAmbientAssistedLiving.TheestablishmentofR&Dconsortia and cooperation projects are also foreseen involving Portugueseinstitutions and Fraunhofer institutes in four themes: i) logistics; ii)biotechnology; iii) advanced production systems with application in theautomotiveindustry;andiv)nanotechnologies.• Thepreparationofnewinternationalpartnershipsisunderway,particularlyanewpartnershipwithHarvardMedicalSchoolintheareaofmedicalsciences.Thepubliceffortintheinvestmentinscienceandtechnologyalsoledtotheincreaseinthe intervention of the Live Science Agency and the national and internationalprojectionofitsworkofexceptionalpublicinterestthusfavouringthepromotionofscientificculture;thefollowingactionsmeritspecialmention:• The Live Science Agency approved in the past year, and are already inexecution, about 1,100 new projects for the reinforcement of experimentalteachingofsciencesinbasicandsecondaryschoolsandforactionsboostingScientific and Technological Culture, corresponding to 14 million euros ofpublicfundingbetween2007and2008.7 www.utaustinportugal.org26