21 Portuguese nationals on technology internships at CERN, ESA, and ESO

The Technology Internship Program at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), European Space Agency (ESA), and European Southern Observatory (ESO) provides training and educational opportunities to young Portuguese graduates in areas where these organizations are internationally recognized for their expertise.

In Call the awarding of Technological Studentships 2013, which took place between September and October, the FCT awarded 21 Studentships different organizations: ten internships will take place at ESA, ten at CERN, and one at ESO. Among the internship opportunities available at each organization, applications were valued in areas that are most relevant to the country, namely areas indicated by industry, and others appropriate to the experiences and programs in which Portugal participates. The selected areas range from Mechanical Engineering and Electronic Engineering to Computing, Physics, Materials, among others.

The FCT has taken over from the Innovation Agency in managing this Internship Program since late 2012, promoting not only the awarding of Studentships but also the selection of candidates and monitoring the work carried out by interns. As a result of agreements signed with these organizations, this program has placed more than 250 interns in the three international organizations since 1996, contributing significantly to increasing the competitiveness of national companies.