International Partnership for Information Technologies brings Universities and Companies closer together

Researchers, business people, students, graduates and end users will all be present at the Annual Conference for the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Programme on 3rd October. The aim of the conference is to present the impact of this partnership on the innovation chain, from knowledge creation to the commercialisation of technology based products. The event will take place on the University Campus of the Nova University of Lisbon. The title of the event is:  “Universities, Companies and End users: A Decisive Approach for Knowledge and Economic Growth.”

João Barros, the national director of the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Programme states that “the participation of over eighty companies in this international partnership, that unites Portuguese universities and Carnegie Mellon, demonstrates the value these companies see in joint research projects. Research groups from all over Portugal are actively collaborating with companies such as Portugal Telecom, Novabase, EDP, OutSystems and Critical Software and these companies are incorporating the results of this collaboration into their products and services. In addition, the contact with the entrepreneurial culture that characterises American partnerships has led to various researchers launching their own business ventures.”   

He further mentions the Council of Deans for Portuguese Universities’ appreciation for the results of the international partnerships, “The advanced training programmes, the high level research and the university lecturer exchange programme with Carnegie Mellon have all led to positive and visible changes in the way that universities adopt best practices on an international level. At the same time, universities today have formed hugely relevant partnerships with some of the best institutes in the US. Therefore, we support the continuity of these partnerships and the consolidation of the international effort propelled by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. The presence of the President of Carnegie Mellon in Portugal, the fourth since 2006, confirms that the American partner is working for the success of this partnership.”  

Various demonstrations will take place throughout the day and posters will be presented with the results obtained during the 5 year long partnership. The partnership involves nine Portuguese universities (Aveiro, Católica Portuguesa, Coimbra, Lisbon, Madeira, Minho, Nova from Lisbon, Porto, Técnica from Lisbon), four associate laboratories (INESC ID, INESC Porto, the Telecommunications Institute, ISR), the Institute for Welding and Quality (ISQ), the Carnegie Mellon University and over 80 companies.

The conference will address issues such as inter-vehicle communication networks, smart surveillance networks, interactive platforms to reduce energy consumption, smart grids or security systems for IT networks. These projects will be presented not only as research but also with regard to their impact on the world of business and the economy.

As part of project Vital Responder, the participants in the conference will have the opportunity to speak to the Commander of the Fireman Cooperation for Amarante and Vila Nova de Gaia who has actively participated in the project. Participants will also have the opportunity to see a simulation of the innovative emergency evacuation system. Another project with substantial national and international impact is DRIVE-IN and it will also have researchers present from the Telecommunications Institute and the Universities of Aveiro and Porto. They will present the latest prototype for low cost communication between vehicles. The prototype will be tested in taxis and is aimed at the international automobile sector. Other examples that will be presented include automated translation in classrooms, safe platforms for web applications, sensor networks for data centres and interactive technology to increase environmental awareness.  

Leonor Parreira, the State Secretary for Science will be present at the event, along with João Sentieiro, the president of the Foundation for Science and Technology, António Rendas, the president of the Council of Deans for Portuguese Universities (CRUP), Jared Cohon, the President of the Carnegie Mellon University, José Carlos Marques dos Santos, the Dean of the University of Porto, João Gabriel Silva, the Dean of the University of Coimbra and Rogério Carapuça, the President of Novabase.

Entrance is free of charge if you register on the site before 30th September: www.cmuportugal.org.

Ciência.pt, 29th September 2011

06th October 2011