Promove program supports development of inland regions

The FCT and the ”la Caixa” Foundation announced the results of the 3rd edition of the Promove Program, through which 10 pilot projects, 6 innovative ideas, and 3 mobilizing research and development (R&D) projects were selected for funding. The joint allocation of non-repayable grants exceeds €2.5 million and is the result of an agreement signed on June 17, 2020, between the two institutions, in which the FCT undertakes to match the amount of resources that the ”la Caixa” Foundation will allocate to the winning projects.

In addition to Call innovative pilot projects and Call ideas aimed at students in higher education institutions, the partnership with FCT has resulted in the launch of a new line of support for mobilizing R&D projects, which aims to promote research, technological development, and innovation in strategic areas defined by the Portuguese government for the enhancement of inland regions, including: thermal waters, parks and nature reserves, studies on biological risks, and the development, promotion, and enhancement of new crops and natural products for the domestic and international markets.

In total, sixty-eight pilot project applications were received, an increase of more than 50% compared to 2019, fourteen proposals for ideas, and sixteen applications for the new line of mobilizing R&D projects.

After evaluating the applications submitted for the two project lines, based on criteria of quality, innovation, impact on the territory, sustainability, and development potential, the Promove Program jury selected ten pilot projects and three R&D projects mobilizing research centers, distributed across the North, Center, and Alentejo regions. Six ideas submitted by students from universities or polytechnics in the North, Center, and Alentejo were also selected, based on criteria related to their quality and feasibility, degree of innovation, and potential contribution to the development of the territory.

Created in 2018, the Promove Program aims to stimulate innovative initiatives in strategic areas for the development of Portugal's inland regions, in order to contribute to the sustainable development of these regions. In the 2018 and 2019 editions, this program selected 13 innovative pilot projects and 7 ideas from students at science and higher education institutions located in the areas covered, with a total investment of around €1.4 million.

Attachments:
List of winning projects