Five new Collaborative Laboratories (CoLAB)

Today marks the public presentation of the five new CoLABs approved in the third evaluation of applications for Call the award of the title and designation of Collaborative Laboratory (CoLAB), submitted by January 2019. The session will take place at 3 p.m. in the auditorium of the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission in Porto.

The new CoLABs are CSESI Hub CoLAB, VG CoLAB, CoLAB InovFeed, BUILT CoLAB, and FOODLAB CoLAB, and they reinforce the list of 21 existing CoLABs. Funding for all 26 CoLABs exceeds €69 million, of which €57 million will be directed towards hiring more than 600 highly qualified human resources (bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree holders) by 2021.

New CoLABs have 90 days after the decision to award the title to establish themselves as private non-profit associations or companies. Promoting collaboration between science, technology, and higher education institutions and the economic and social fabric, namely companies, the hospital and health system, cultural institutions, and social organizations. CoLABs aim to create, directly and indirectly, high added-value jobs in Portugal through the implementation of research and innovation agendas geared towards creating economic and social value.

The Call for the CoLAB title is permanently open.