Graphene and Human Brain Project selected as technologies of the future by the European Commission

Portuguese universities, research centers and scientists are part of the winning teams in the European Commission'sFuture and Emerging Technologies Call for ambitious, high-risk projects. The Champalimaud Foundation is a partner in the Human Brain Project, and the Graphene project involves research groups from six universities (Aveiro, Minho, Porto and the Technical University of Lisbon) and national research centers (International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory and the Telecommunications Institute).

The Graphene project will investigate the unique properties of graphene, a revolutionary carbon-based material, and its application in, for example, new computer models and innovative medical applications such as artificial retinas.

The Human Brain Project proposes to create the most detailed model of the human brain ever, allowing significant advances in understanding the functioning of this organ and associated diseases, and also to reproduce the brain's computational capacity in new artificial systems.

The two winning projects will each receive 1 billion euros over 10 years to develop world-class research at the intersection of science and technology.

The participation of Portuguese centers and researchers is a direct reflection of the international competitiveness of science carried out in Portugal. FCT congratulates all the members of the selected projects, particularly those working in Portugal, and looks forward to working with the teams to realize the important scientific and social impacts that the projects can foresee.