Portugal - National Programme Information

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National policies

The research policy over the last decade in Portugal has been guided by two main priorities: stimulate the Portuguese research system so that the levels of scientific excellence of the leading groups of the international research community are reached; stimulate the internationalization of the national research community. In this context academic science has been prioritized, while strategic or applied research efforts have been given less emphasis.

 

Priority areas

The Technological Plan is addressed to three main issues: (1) Knowledge, with a view to increase the skills of the population for the knowledge society, by increasing the average educational levels, and promoting lifelong learning; (2) Technology, overcoming scientific and technological backwardness; the following objectives were stressed: accelerating scientific and technological development; improving national competencies in science and technology; encouraging scientific employment; and promoting business enterprises' R&D activities; and (3) Innovation, recognising that companies are key actors in the innovation process, and mobilising the actors of the national innovation system around a national innovation strategy, involving the development of differentiation factors (R&D, marketing and design, for instance), the strengthening of company R&D capabilities as well as of technology transfer processes, and the inflow of foreign investment.

 

Funding organisations

The most relevant ministries for innovation policy are the Ministry for the Economy and Innovation (MEcI), and the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education (MCTES). The MCTES is responsible for two OPs: (1) POCI 2010, the Operational Programme Science and Innovation 2010, which replaced POCTI (the Operational Programme on Science, Technology and Innovation; and (2) POS_C, the Operational Programme on the Knowledge Society, the successor of the former POSI (the Operational Programme on the Information Society). The centre-left government has widened the responsibilities of the MCTES to include policies regarding the information society. The MCTES has two advisory bodies: the Higher Council on Science, Technology and Innovation (CSCTI) and the Higher Council on Education. CSCTI’s activities are, after a very active stance in 2004. CSCTI will be subject to changes introduced by the PRACE initiative, in the context of which it will be being relabelled as Conselho Coordenafor de Ciência e Tecnologia (CCCT), the coordinating council for science and technology. Available information suggests that the minister intends to modify the composition of the Council, thereby increasing the representation of the research community. The main agencies under the MCTES are the FCT (Science and Technology Foundation), the UMIC (Agency for Innovation and knowledge), and the Innovation Agency AdI. The FCT mainly promotes and finances scientific research programmes and projects carried out by universities and Associated Laboratories. The UMIC mainly focuses on information society issues, leaving innovation matters aside. AdI, a joint-venture between the MCTES and the MEcI, is the agency in charge of the management of most public programmes supporting research, development, technology transfer and the creation of new technology based enterprises.

 

Programme information

The Integrated Programme for Innovation (PROINOV) was aimed at launching a coordinated innovation policy, managed at the Prime Minister's office level, to overcome the traditional divide between research and enterprises policies in Portugal. PROINOV was short lived. The launching of a Technological Plan has been among the key commitments of the winning Socialist Party in the last 2005 elections. The Technological Plan is therefore a response to such commitment. It includes a wide set of measures in those fields, as well as the definition of quantitative goals to be reached by 2010 such as increasing the ratio of business enterprise R&D expenditures to GDP to 0.8%, high and medium technology intensive industries share of 4.7% in total employment or a 50% increase in overall R&D employment.

 

 

Ministry of Science and Technology
Unit of Marine Technology and Engineering, Technical University of Lisbon, Instituto Superior Tecnico Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal

Prof. Carlos Guedes Soares
Tel: +351-218417607 or 218417957
Fax: +351-218474015 or 218473868
E-mail: guedess@mar.ist.utl.pt
URL: www.mar.ist.utl.pt

 

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