International partnerships: Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program renewed for 5 years

The Carnegie Mellon-Portugal Program is the first international partnership between national and U.S. universities and research centers to be renewed. The agreement signed on September 27, 2012* begins the second phase of the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program for the next five years, and represents an annual investment of four million euros, financed by the Foundation for Science and Technology.

A pioneering program for a new vision of research in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector in Portugal, the Carnegie Mellon Portugal partnership has proved crucial in strengthening the link between research and industry. Over the last six years, the program has enabled hundreds of Portuguese students, researchers and university professors to develop projects with world-renowned research teams and join international networks. The research projects have led to the creation of seven technology-based start-ups, geared towards the global market, to add to the more than 70 companies that are part of this program.

The second phase of the program focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship, as opposed to the previous focus on education and training, and also aims to strengthen the search for funding beyond the existing national strategic funds. The program's new focus follows the recommendations of the Academy of Finland Report, requested by the Ministry of Education and Science in 2011.Education-based programs will give way toproject-based programs, encouraging industry and research groups to work together to solve concrete problems, in initiatives that go by the name of "entrepreneurial research initiatives".

 Some information about the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program:

• Universities that are part of the CMU-Portugal program - 10
• University of Aveiro, Portuguese Catholic University, University of Coimbra, New University of Lisbon, University of Lisbon, University of Madeira, University of Minho, University of Porto, Technical University of Lisbon and Carnegie Mellon University
• Research centers that are part of the CMU-Portugal program - 5
  INESC ID, INESC Porto, Institute of Systems and Robotics, Institute of Telecommunications, Institute of Welding and Quality
• Number of partner companies - more than 80, including 7 start-ups
• Collaborative research projects - 25
• Students - 270
• Teachers from Portuguese universities - more than 150

* Agreement signed by Miguel Seabra (President of the Foundation for Science and Technology), João Gabriel Silva (Rector of the University of Coimbra, representing the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities) and Mark Kamlet (Provost, Carnegie Mellon University).