Provisional results of the Call "Digital Twins for Smart Territories"

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) has published the provisional results of the Call "DigitalTwins4SmartTerritories (DT4ST): Digital Twins for Smart Territories", promoted in partnership with the Agency for Administrative Modernization (AMA), as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

Launched with the aim of supporting the development of digital twins - virtual representations of systems, processes or physical territories - this Call received 56 applications, demonstrating the strong involvement of the scientific and technological community in the digital transformation of territories in Portugal. The initiative contributes to the objectives of the National Smart Territories Strategy (ENTI), promoting innovative solutions with a direct impact on public management and citizens' quality of life.

Eight projects will be funded, covering eight different areas: Health, Mobility, Decarbonization, Tourism, Civil Protection, Climate Resilience, Agriculture and Water Management. Each project will receive funding of up to 1.5 million euros. Given the quality and relevance of the proposals received, the amount initially planned has been increased by 1.745 million euros, bringing the total investment to around 10.4 million euros.

The applications covered a broad spectrum of ENTI's priority areas, most notably Climate Resilience and Health, which registered nine applications each. This was followed by Civil Protection and Water (eight applications), Tourism (six), Agriculture, Decarbonization and Mobility (five each), and Energy (two applications).

The evaluation was conducted by a panel of independent experts, appointed by the FCT, which included 25 members of the national scientific community, including the two coordinators. The evaluation was based on criteria such as scientific and technical merit, degree of innovation, feasibility of the work plan and expected impact. The evaluation process took place within three weeks of the end of the application submission period, a relevant result given the number of applications and the diversity of thematic areas.

The selected projects must be completed by March 31, 2026, and expenses incurred up to June 30, 2026 will be eligible. The results obtained will be made available in open formats, without access restrictions or costs, ensuring their reuse by public entities and supporting the formulation of more effective public policies.

Call DT4ST is funded under measure TD-C19-i08 "Intelligent Territories" of the PRR - Recovery and Resilience Plan, resulting from a protocol established between the FCT and AMA. AMA will be responsible for contracting and monitoring the funded projects. With this initiative, the FCT and AMA are reinforcing their commitment to the digital transition and the sustainable development of territories, promoting links between science, technology and public administration.

The list of the eight applications selected for funding can be consulted on the official Call page ("results" tab).