A collaborative meeting, hosted by INESC-ID’s Sustainable Power Systems (SPS) Group, recently took place at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). The event gathered several companies from the Petrotec and Barraqueiro Groups, along with researchers from INESC-ID and Técnico, to discuss emerging trends and strengthen partnerships.
SPS senior researcher, Hugo Morais, provided an overview of three Horizon Europe projects – EV4EU, Shift2DC, and U2Demo – which he is currently leading at INESC ID, and also introduced the Energy Dream Lab, a new Lab under development at INESC ID’s facilities on Técnico’s Alameda campus. We were also represented by Sónia Pinto, senior researcher and scientific coordinator of the Green Energy and Smart Converters (GESC) group, who shared the group’s advances in storage and converter energy systems.
Focused on the meetings main themes, sustainability, energy transition and innovative transportation solutions, Petrotec shared a presentation on “Energy solutions for transformative industries”, and Barraqueiro focused on “Advancing sustainable transportation solutions”. The round of presentations also counted with other companies present such as Hellonext, Boost Logistics, Spinach Tours, Boost Portugal, and academics from IDMEC, IN+ and ITI.
According to Hugo Morais, “the event was very interesting for understanding the current needs of the industry, which in many cases are driven by market and user demands” and allowed the “identification of collaboration opportunities in both national and international projects.”
Following the meeting, participants visited Hellonext’s R&D center in Seixal, where they had the opportunity to see in firsthand the development of IT solutions for Renewable Energy Systems, Grid and EV Charging Infrastructure, and Hydrogen Refueling Solutions of Petrotec, at the company’s newest facilities.
It was 10:10 AM in Lisbon and 18:10 in Guangzhou, of March 5, when the official ceremony for the establishment of the China-Portugal Joint Laboratory on AI and Public Health Technologies started. Held at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (DEI) of Instituto Superior Técnico, the event gathered Portuguese and Chinese representatives who celebrated the signing of the memorandum of understanding over a traditional cup of tea and a handshake.
The China-Portugal Joint Laboratory on AI and Public Health Technologies is a collaborative effort between INESC-ID, Guangzhou Laboratory (GL), Guangzhou Medical University (GMU), and Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) (China). The Joint Laboratory aims to consolidate and leverage artificial intelligence technologies to improve public health management at a global scale. This includes capabilities for analysing, modelling, and responding to emerging public health events.
Arlindo Oliveira, INESC-ID researcher, Professor at Técnico and coordinator of the partnership, acknowledges both the challenges and the strengths of this collaboration: “Although this collaboration presents challenges related to language barriers and differing cultural and political perspectives, we have managed to establish a fruitful and mutually trusting relationship. This has already led to significant funding for research and development, with further projects expected to be approved in the near future.”
Trust and Cooperation
Through international cooperation and information sharing, the lab will collect, organize, and disseminate data and experiences crucial for the prevention and response to major pandemics. Additionally, it will drive research into infection prevention and control measures, as well as AI-powered diagnostic technologies to address both infectious and non-infectious diseases.
During the ceremony, Zhao Bentang, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Portugal, highlighted the significance of the Joint Laboratory. “The foundation of this laboratory reflects our firm belief that China and Portugal must work together to tackle global challenges. These challenges can only be effectively addressed through international cooperation. The creation of this laboratory is a concrete manifestation of both countries’ commitment to collaborating on these global issues, ensuring mutual benefits.”
Following the formal proceedings, and at the request of the academic Chinese partners, part of the group took the lift to the seventh floor of the North Tower at the Alameda Campus to visit the Institute for Systems and Robotics, where they were introduced to some of the advanced robotic technologies developed at the lab. These included iCub, one of the most complex humanoid robots in the world, designed to study human behaviour, and Vizzy, an interactive robot created to assist the elderly and hospitalized patients.
The works concluded with a visit to the Joint Laboratory at INESC-ID, that is meant to work under the five pillars Ana Teresa Freitas, President of DEI and the Strategic Coordinator of the INESC-ID thematic line Life and Health Technology, detailed at the ceremony: “Safe people, safe projects, safe data, safe algorithms, safe outputs”.
AI to solve global challenges
This new partnership is a step forward in facing global public health challenges through cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies. As noted by Rogério Colaço, President of Instituto Superior Técnico, that welcomed the event, “the establishment of this Joint Laboratory represents a significant step forward in addressing global public health challenges. By leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies, we aim to enhance public health management and improve our collective capacity to respond to emerging public health events on an international scale. This agreement not only fosters academic research but also promotes scholar exchanges that will enrich our understanding and capabilities.” An opinion shared by Miguel Pupo Correia, President of the Executive Committee of INESC-ID: “AI is one of the high-impact areas of our research, and this collaboration will enhance the creation of value for people and society.”
The memorandum of understanding was formally signed by representatives from all four institutions. Also present were Tai Kin Ip, Secretary for Finance of the Macau Government, Che Weng Keong, President of the Macau Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT), Madalena Alves, President of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), and Rogério Colaço, President of Instituto Superior Técnico.
This initiative reinforces the growing importance of AI in public health and sets the foundation for a strong and lasting collaboration between Portugal and China in facing some of the most urgent and relevant global health challenges.
On the first day of the SINFO32, which took place from February 17 to 21, INESC-ID marked its presence during the panel “Técnico’s Computer Engineering at the Forefront of Artificial Intelligence, a collaboration with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (DEI). INESC-ID researchers Arlindo Oliveira, Ana Teresa Freitas and Inês Lynce, under the moderation of INESC-ID’s Science Writer, Sara Sá, highlighted the department’s contributions in various fields, which prompted many enthusiastic questions from the audience, particularly regarding entrepreneurship.
On the following day, our very own session, “FoodSteps: From Crypto-Currencies to Cherry-Tracking”, a presentation by INESC-ID researcher, Miguel Pardal. In a packed second stage, and following a short introduction about INESC-ID, the talk delved into the specifics of “blockchain”, and how it can be applied to the agriculture sector by keeping track of produce origins and monitoring its conditions during transport. A practical example of this food traceability is the project Blockchain.PT, which has been using blockchain technology to track the well known “cereja do Fundão” (read more about this innovative project here).
SINFO is a free tech conference, created by students from Instituto Superior Técnico, that hosts an annual week-long event in Lisbon, where participants (students, professionals or industry leaders) can connect with each other and share their knowledge in computer science and technology. Over the five days attendees were able to attend lectures, workshops and panels in a wide range of topics, from Multimedia to AI, as well as get in touch with companies displayed around the job fair.
Experts, professors, and students—some just beginning their journey into blockchain—came together in an environment where distinctions quickly blurred. The first edition of the Lisbon Blockchain Winter School (LxBWS), organized by the BIG ERA Chair project, provided a comprehensive training experience on blockchain technology through lectures, hands-on workshops, and keynotes by leading experts. The event also promoted networking, encouraging collaboration across different levels of expertise.
“Since the sessions were designed to accommodate varying levels of knowledge—with introductory lectures alongside cutting-edge keynotes—participation was high across the board,” noted David R. Matos, an INESC-ID researcher and coordinator of the event’s organizing team. “For instance, even university professors actively engaged in the blockchain labs, despite their introductory nature”, says David, who is part of the BIG ERA Chair team, which is dedicated to unlocking the full potential of interdisciplinary blockchain research.
One of the most engaging lab exercises involved creating a cryptocurrency from scratch. The session proved so captivating that even Seth Goldstein, a Carnegie Mellon University professor and renowned expert, enthusiastically took part—despite also delivering a surprising keynote on the future of money.
“The first Lisbon Blockchain Winter School stands out among the many initiatives of the BIG ERA Chair Laboratory on Blockchain Innovation for Social Good. This lab fosters cutting-edge research, advanced education, and collaborative innovation within an international academic and industrial network,” emphasized INESC-ID researcher, Luís Caires, BIG ERA Chair coordinator and professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, which hosted the event from February 10 to 14.
Blockchain, well beyond DeFi
On the industry panel, participants had the opportunity to hear from entrepreneurs representing four exciting tech companies—Unlockit, Anchorage, SenseFinity, and Void—who shared insights into the triumphs and challenges of launching a company in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape.
INESC-ID researchers also played a key role in the event, that gathered 50 participants. Miguel Correia, President of INESC-ID’s Executive Committee, delivered a talk on Blockchain Applications and Digital Identity, while Miguel Pardal, coordinator of the Blockchain PRR-funded project, presented a lecture on Food Traceability with Blockchain.
“While blockchain is often narrowly associated with decentralized finance (DeFi), its potential as a trustworthy, transparent, and consensus-based technology extends far beyond that. Sectors such as healthcare, public governance, and business are beginning to see its transformative impact,” noted Luís Caires.
Participants’ feedback was very positive, with many describing the experience as “extremely enriching.” They praised the quality of speakers and presentations, the variety of sessions (which included both advanced and introductory content), and the event’s overall organization. Many even suggested that the initiative should be repeated next year. And while it wasn’t explicitly mentioned, it’s fair to assume that Lisbon’s winter sunshine may have also played a role in the event’s success.
It was still early morning when a group of dedicated educators and excited students gathered on the small piscatorial sandy beach in front of Abade Elementary School. Surrounded by the lush northeastern forests of Príncipe Island, each student’s eyes sparkled as they opened a big ocean-blue box filled with a treasure trove of fun scientific experiments. They were there for the “Engenharia para Todos” (“Engineering for All”) training sessions, a project aimed at transforming education through hands-on science.
At the end of January, a delegation from the Department of Education of the Municipality of Oeiras (Município de Oeiras), organised an educational mission to the equatorial São Tomé e Príncipe archipelago to provide in-person training to 40 local teachers. The delegation included the Education Councilor of the Municipality of Oeiras, Pedro Patacho, and five trainers in the areas of Portuguese, Mathematics, Sciences, Arts, and Project Work, who promoted innovative methodologies to improve the quality of education in the region.
In the field of Sciences, the mission was headed by INESC-ID’s Maria João Verdasca, manager of “Engenharia para Todos” – a project by Instituto Superior Técnico and INESC-ID, in partnership with the Municipality of Oeiras – who introduced the former Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência’s Lab in a Box kit, now relaunched and driven by the project.
“The transformative power of education was evident in every child’s smile and in the teachers’ dedication to embracing new ways of teaching,” proudly comments Maria João Verdasca.
During two intense weeks, each of the five trainers worked daily with two classes in the morning, covering a total of nearly 1500 children. In the afternoons, they held training sessions with the teachers, discussing new pedagogical strategies and sharing good educational practices.
Beyond the classroom, the delegation led by Pedro Patacho was received by the President of the Regional Government of Príncipe, Filipe Nascimento, and met with the Regional Secretary of Education, Fátima Cassandra, to discuss the island’s educational needs and future collaborations. The vibrant local culture and the island’s natural beauty provided the perfect backdrop and inspiration for these important exchanges of ideas.
At the end of the training, the teachers received their diplomas from the hands of the President of the Regional Government himself, in a joyful celebration that brought together teachers, trainers, and students, with the aroma of traditional snacks filling the air.
According to Maria João, “the impact of the training was noticeable in small but significant changes in pedagogical practices, such as better organisation of the school space and more dynamic and participatory classes”, and very soon, 10 out of the 40 trained teachers will come to Portugal to spend a week in Oeiras, observing the local teachers in their teaching dynamics.
This initiative highlights our commitment to innovate in education, promote inclusion, and support sustainable development through knowledge.
The quantum era is not here yet, but some are already thinking about the post-quantum world and its impact on privacy and cybersecurity. One such person is INESC-ID researcher Ricardo Chaves, who participated in a demonstration of cutting-edge secure communication technologies developed under the DISCRETION project. The event, held on January 29 at the Portuguese Embassy (REPER headquarters) in Brussels, showcased technological advancements aimed at strengthening European defense infrastructure. In addition to Ricardo, INESC-ID researchers Nuno Neves, Joana Afonso, Pedro Martins, Pedro Matias and Tiago Dias were also present (all in the main picture ).
The DISCRETION project recently gained public attention through a feature report by RTP, Portugal’s national broadcaster. The report highlighted the project’s groundbreaking advancements in secure military communications and its crucial role in enhancing European cybersecurity. Through interviews with key researchers, including Ricardo Chaves, the segment detailed the cryptographic technologies that are ate the core of DISCRETION’s security framework. Portugal’s Secretary of Defense Álvaro Castelo Branco and Portuguese Ambassador to the European Union Pedro Costa Pereira, alongside representatives from European institutions and member states, attended the event, emphasizing its significance for European security.
DISCRETION is a €6 million initiative, supported by the European Commission under the European Defence Agency’s European Defence Industrial Development Programme and the Portuguese Government. By integrating a Software-Defined Network with Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technologies, DISCRETION seeks to enhance the security of military networks against emerging threats, particularly in the post-quantum era.
The RTP feature underlined the project’s capabilities in providing secure communication solutions, highlighting the ability to ensure reliable, encrypted messaging in challenging environments, protect sensitive military communications, and enable secure, cross-domain communication. These advancements underline the system’s versatility and strength in enhancing security for a range of applications.
Collaborative European Leadership The DISCRETION project, short for “Disruptive SDN Secure Communications for European Defence,” is an initiative aimed at developing an optical Software-Defined Network (SDN) solution to ensure secure, robust, and resilient communications for European defense applications. It is led by Deimos Engenharia (Portugal) and brings together a consortium including Portugal (Altice Labs, Adyta, Instituto de Telecomunicações, Instituto Superior Técnico), Spain (Telefónica ID, Polytechnic University of Madrid), Austria (Austrian Institute of Technology), and Italy (NEXTWORKS).
“If you pick a grain of sand, what is the probability that two of us pick the same one?” With this example, Miguel Pupo Correia, President of the INESC-ID Executive Committee, illustrates the probabilistic uniqueness of DIDs (Decentralised Identifiers), during his keynote “Blockchain and Digital Identity: DIDs, VCs, and EBSI”. This intervention took place during the Madeira Blockchain Conference 2024, which happened in Funchal at the end of the last year.
When asked about his participation, Miguel Pupo Correia adds: “This yearly conference brings together experts from all Web 3 areas — startup founders, academics, legal experts, etc. — both national and international, showcasing the state of the ecosystem and bringing inspiration for people interested in the topic.”
The video is now available on the conference’s Youtube Channel. If you are curious to know more about blockchain, digital identity and related use cases, we encourage you to follow the link and watch the full presentation.
Recently, Inês Lynce has participated in an article published in national newspaper, Público, along with João Rocha, Teresa Ferreira, Tiago Santos Pereira and Claudio Sunkel. In the piece, they discuss the change of direction of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) funds in Portugal.
The Sistema Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia (SNCT) faces significant challenges. Although investment in Science and Technology has been recognised as a key strategy for national development, the means to achieve this have not been amply provided. Some of the main obstacles include the unpredictability of funding for research facilities, delayed evaluations to define future funding, and inadequate equipment acquisition. The Conselho dos Laboratórios Associados (CLA) cites, as a main concern, the vulnerability of jobs, scientific careers, and management of science and technology, which, in turn, compromise national progress, as researchers are motivated to leave the country for better conditions.
Previously, and contrary to other countries, Portugal did not direct PRR funding to significantly reinforce the SNCT, namely regarding facilities, spaces, labs and equipment. However, on January 21, during a regimental hearing at the National Assembly, the Minister for Territorial Cohesion affirmed that a reprogramming of the PRR has been designed and will pose an opportunity to reinforce equipment in the areas of health, science, innovation, research and technology.
The CLA considers an application process directed to research units, which will allow the identification of equipment essential to the modernisation of the SNCT, especially in light of the urgency posed by the PRR calendar.
There was chit-chat, an in-house photoshow, a trip down memory lane, and a big birthday cake. INESC-ID is officially a young adult, and January 28 was the day we chose to gather our community—past and present—along with friends from academia to celebrate 25 years of defining technology.
At the Salão Nobre of Instituto Superior Técnico, we spent the afternoon reflecting on the work accomplished so far, as outlined by Inês Lynce, President of the Board of Directors, and looking ahead to the future, as addressed by Miguel Pupo Correia, President of the Executive Committee.
In a conversation with INESC-ID’s first Directors back in the year 2000—Luís Borges de Almeida, Helena Sarmento, and Arlindo Oliveira—moderated by INESC-ID Science Writer Sara Sá, we heard about the main challenges of launching a research institute, the innovative management solutions implemented, and the memorable incidents that shaped this adventure.
Rogério Colaço, President of Técnico, and Luís Castro, Vice-Rector of Universidade de Lisboa and a Professor at Técnico, honoured us with their presence on stage, sharing a few words in recognition of the research work conducted at INESC-ID.
And, of course, no birthday celebration would be complete without cake and candles. The afternoon concluded with a chocolate cake decorated in INESC-ID colours and more than one hundred participants singing “Happy Birthday” to INESC-ID.
It is definitely the topic of the moment and there is still a lot that can be said about it. After having previously authored an essay on the topic, between 2017 and 2018, and following an invitation from Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos, Arlindo Oliveira, INESC-ID researcher and Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (DEI), wrote the book Generative Artificial Intelligence (A Inteligência Artificial Generativa).
“The goal was to present artificial intelligence in a way that is accessible to the general public. After writing that earlier essay, I realized that public perception of the subject had changed radically. Artificial intelligence, which was once a topic of interest confined to specialists, has become a common subject of discussion among the general public, especially after the emergence of technologies like ChatGPT,” Arlindo explains—or rather, the interactive chatbot of generative artificial intelligence created from the book’s content answers.
“I believe it is important to contextualize artificial intelligence within the broader evolution of natural intelligence, which can be appealing from a scientific, philosophical, and humanistic perspective,” the bot continues, echoing Arlindo’s words as expressed in the newly released book.
A debate about the book’s theme will take place on February, 12, at El Corte Inglés, Lisboa, with the presence of Ana Paiva, the Secretary of State of Science and INESC-ID researcher, and Paulo Dimas, from the company Unbabel. Generative Artificial Intelligence: Risks or benefits for the society of the future?
Earlier this month, Arlindo was appointed to chair the Specialized Monitoring Committee for the National Artificial Intelligence Agenda. This committee will play a crucial role in shaping strategies for the development of a robust and innovative AI ecosystem in Portugal. The National Artificial Intelligence Agenda, part of the National Digital Strategy approved by the Government on December 12, 2024, will be presented at the end of the first quarter of 2025.
Joining Arlindo Oliveira on the committee are Goreti Marreiros, President of the Portuguese Association for Artificial Intelligence (APPIA) and Principal Coordinator Professor at the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto; Daniela Braga, representing the Accelerat.ai consortium, a key initiative under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR); and Paulo Dimas, representing the Center for Responsible AI consortium, also part of the PRR – both of these projects, of which INESC-ID is a part.
