Key European and national policymakers, research and technology infrastructure managers, and funding agencies, gathered on March 6 at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), to attend the INESC Brussels Hub Winter Meeting 2025. This year’s edition was particularly significant, as it focused on aligning EU and national strategies for the sustainability, governance, and funding of Research and Technology Infrastructures (RTIs), while also celebrating the 40th anniversary of INESC TEC.
The meeting, organized with the support and participation of Portugal’s main research and innovation funding agencies, FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) and ANI (Agência Nacional de Inovação), was also an opportunity to discuss the evolving policy landscape and explore strategic investment models for RTIs.
One highlight of the event was the “High-Level Policy Dialogue: Aligning EU, National and Regional Infrastructure Strategies,” moderated by Arlindo Oliveira, INESC-ID researcher and the President of the INESC holding. Additionally, Ana Teresa Freitas, also an INESC-ID researcher, participated as a panelist in the session “Strengthening the RI & TI Ecosystem: Governance, Sustainability, and Funding Strategies.”
A dedicated Needs Assessment Workshop in the afternoon allowed participants to identify and validate key gaps and opportunities in the RTI landscape. The results of this workshop will be submitted to the European Commission to inform future policy and funding decisions.
The President of FCT, Madalena Alves, attended the second day, participating in the closed event on “Policy, Governance, and Funding for Research and Technology Infrastructures.” Discussions also included key topics such as “The Next MFF, FP10, and the Future of R&I Funding.”
Having participated actively on the meeting, Inês Lynce, President of the Board of Directors of INESC-ID, stresses that “the INESC Brussels Hub Winter Meeting played a key role in discussing the alignment of EU and national strategies for the sustainability, governance, and funding of RTIs. Our participation in these discussions aimed to strengthen INESC-ID’s strategic alignment with EU initiatives, fostering new opportunities for collaboration and funding.”
Miguel Pupo Correia, President of the Executive Committee of INESC-ID, also emphasized the importance of these events, stating, “Participation in European projects is of enormous importance for INESC-ID at various levels: funding, internationalization, and collaboration with leading companies and research centers, among others. These events organized by the INESC Brussels Hub provide a unique opportunity to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with such projects.”