INESC TEC

A strategic domain should identify a transformation that matters to the country, the position Portugal aims to achieve, and the capabilities needed to make it happen. A sectoral or technological label alone is not enough to define such a choice.

INESC TEC therefore proposes that the definition and selection of strategic domains should jointly address three questions:

- What problem or opportunity justifies coordinated intervention?

- What capabilities and international standing does Portugal have, or could it develop?

- What pathway, involving which stakeholders, resources and commitments, would make this ambition credible?

The evidence used should be appropriate to the maturity of each strategic investment, without automatically favouring what already exists or if novelty guarantees potential. The assessment should help distinguish where Portugal should seek leadership, where it should develop the country’s own capabilities, and where it should ensure access through European and international cooperation. However, the necessary selectivity must go hand in hand with preserving investigator-led research and supporting innovation opportunities that emerge outside the selected domains.

The panel report on AI²’s strategic domains and regional, national and European alignment brought together internal and external participants, under a non-attribution rule whereby individual contributions are not attributed to specific participants. It sets out questions and conditions for assessing strategic options, without selecting specific domains or allocating resources.

Complete report:

↓From knowledge to strategic capabilities [PDF, 13 pp., Set. 2026, PT only]

We have developed six thematic proposals identifying areas in which Portugal could build scientific and technological capabilities by 2036. Our proposals cover both cross-cutting technologies and application areas – dedicated to (depending on the case) strengthen existing capabilities or establish new areas of specialisation.

Our goal is not to provide an exhaustive list of national strategic priorities, but to contribute to their definition based on the expertise and partnerships we have mobilised. These proposals should be assessed collectively, recognising complementarities, making the most of shared capabilities and avoiding duplicated funding, while preserving the specific challenges of each area.

Critical technologies for digital sovereignty

Strengthen Portugal’s ability to make technological choices and play an active role in essential digital systems by mobilising expertise in chips, communications, Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, and quantum technologies. The goal is to develop knowledge, intellectual property and home-grown solutions in selected segments, while complementing these efforts with access to resources that require greater scale through European cooperation. The proposed areas of specialisation include circuit design and integrated photonics, resilient networks, efficient and trustworthy AI, robotic autonomy, and quantum software engineering. This requires funding that combines long-term research, shared infrastructures and demonstrations conducted in collaboration with end users.

↓ Download [PDF, 15 pp., PT only]

Sustainable energy systems

Harmonise the electrification of the economy and the development of clean technologies with the need to ensure a secure, resilient and flexible power grid. Building on Portugal’s experience in integrating renewable energy, the goal is to attract industrial investment and develop solutions with export potential. Key opportunities include operating grids with a high share of power-electronic converters, demand-side flexibility, climate resilience and the application of AI to energy systems. This calls for a power grid innovation programme, with regulated access to data and testing under real-world conditions, bringing together scientific institutions, companies, grid operators, and the regulator.

↓ Download [PDF, 16 pp., PT only]

Digitalisation of the manufacturing sector

Increase productivity and added value across companies and their respective value chains, while strengthening Portugal’s domestic manufacturing technology offering. The focus is on specific industrial challenges: integration with existing equipment, adaptation to short production runs and raw materials of varying quality, data governance, and collaboration between people and intelligent systems. This requires consolidating the cooperation established through the Mobilising Agendas and expanding demonstrations in industrial environments, while ensuring access for new participants.

↓ Download [PDF, 23 pp., PT only]

The ocean as a national strategic priority

Move beyond an approach based primarily on campaigns towards a sustained technological presence at sea, capable of supporting continuous observation, operations, production, and protection. This brings together expertise in resident autonomous systems, underwater communications, and navigation, structural and materials integrity, ocean energy and data, creating business opportunities in solution qualification, monitoring, and the operation and maintenance of maritime infrastructures. This requires ensuring the continuous operation of testing infrastructures, training specialised engineers and technical staff, and promoting demand from both the public and private sectors.

↓ Download [PDF, 17 pp., PT only]

Healthcare technologies and engineering

This proposal identifies three subdomains within a broader national healthcare priority: translational neuroengineering, AI-supported precision oncology, and trustworthy health data, including computational modelling for biomedical and pharmaceutical research. The goal is to turn successful individual projects into a sustained capacity to develop and validate technologies, create businesses and improve healthcare. This requires appropriate infrastructures, multicentre validation in hospitals and primary care settings, protected time for healthcare professionals to conduct research, and secure access to data.

↓ Download [PDF, 18 pp., PT only]

People-centred urban mobility

Develop more accessible, adaptive, sustainable, and resilient mobility systems by integrating data, transport modes, services, and territorial planning. The opportunity to stand out lies in combining knowledge of mobility and human behaviour with the technological expertise needed to integrate systems and services. This requires municipalities, authorities, and operators to be involved from the initial identification of problems through to the adoption of solutions, as well as testing in Portuguese cities and transport networks to develop interoperable and replicable solutions.

↓ Download [PDF, 16 pp., PT only]

Creating the conditions to turn strategic choices into reality

Despite showing different ambitions, the six proposals share a common requirement: turning investment in research and innovation into capabilities that endure beyond individual projects. This means combining support for scientific discovery and engineering with the training and retention of talent, while creating the conditions to put results to use and (wherever there is potential for application) extending demonstrations into a pathway towards validation, adoption and, where appropriate, industrialisation.

This also requires clear governance for each domain, with defined responsibilities and concrete commitments from partners. Where adoption depends on regulation, access to data or public procurement, AI²’s programme must be supported by commitments from the relevant government departments, regulators, and user organisations, ensuring compliance with national policies and strategies. It is crucial to fund infrastructures throughout the whole lifecycle and include experimental regulatory environments that enable regulated access to data and the testing of solutions under real-world conditions.

Finally, programme monitoring must distinguish between scientific quality, the capabilities created, the use of results and the impacts achieved. Independent evaluation should inform decisions on whether to scale up, redesign or discontinue initiatives.

Delivering these priorities and creating the conditions for their implementation requires stable, multiannual financial planning. We propose translating the national target of 3% of GDP in public and private R&D investment by 2030 into a roadmap setting out resources and responsibilities. AI²’s programme contract should specify the Agency’s contribution, coordinate national and European funding sources, and ensure that the capabilities developed continue beyond temporary support schemes.

As an initial reference for the resources managed by AI², we propose:

- 40% for Science, 30% for Strategic Domains, 15% for the Innovation Promotion Unit (UPI), and 15% for Research and Technological Infrastructures. This is a starting point for planning, potentially adaptable considering the budget scope, existing commitments, and identified needs.

- Core institutional funding as a cross-cutting component. One-third of the Science allocation and one-third of the combined allocations for Strategic Domains and the UPI, ensuring continuity for teams, advanced training, and the development of new capabilities.

- New funding does not have to follow the same proportions. It may be allocated in response to identified needs and obstacles, while honouring existing commitments and preserving room for budgetary adjustments.

The document sets out the reference framework, allocation criteria, three non-compensatory tests for the design and selection of strategic domains, and the proposed scale of core institutional funding. It also includes two annexes providing supporting evidence and international comparisons.

↓ AI² Budget Allocation [PDF, 10 pp, Sep. 2026, PT only]

We have compiled the main proposals from the eight contributions developed through AI²’s bottom-up initiatives in a single summary note – organised into four sections:

- Choosing with ambition and evidence: we believe that a strategic domain should identify a transformation that matters to the country, the position Portugal aims to achieve, and the capabilities needed to make it happen. A sectoral or technological label alone is not enough to define such a choice.

- Six contributions to national priorities: we present six thematic proposals identifying opportunities for transformation and for building scientific and technological capabilities that are relevant to Portugal, with 2036 as the target horizon.

- Creating the conditions to turn strategic choices into reality: our six proposals share a common requirement: turning investment into capabilities that endure beyond individual projects. This calls for clear governance for each domain, with concrete commitments from partners and compliance with national policies and strategies; infrastructures funded throughout the whole lifecycle, including experimental regulatory environments and regulated access to data; and monitoring that distinguishes scientific quality, the capabilities created, the use of results and the impacts achieved, supported by independent evaluation.

- Funding with continuity and adaptation ability in mind: we propose translating the target of investing 3% of GDP in R&D by 2030 into a roadmap setting out resources and responsibilities. AI²’s programme contract should specify the Agency’s contribution, using the following indicative allocation: 40% for Science, 30% for Strategic Domains, 15% for the Innovation Promotion Unit (UPI) and 15% for Infrastructures, with core institutional funding as a cross-cutting component.

Scientific ambition, strategic thinking and decision-making, and a commitment to implementation must therefore go hand in hand.

Document:

↓From knowledge to strategic capabilities - summary [PDF, Oct. 2026, PT only]