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New R&D Institute Created in Madeira within the Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program
University of Madeira, Madeira Technopole and Carnegie Mellon University sign, on July 23, 2009, a protocol for creating a new private R&D institute in the area of Information and Communication Technologies, Madeira – Interactive Technologies Institute (Madeira - ITI), in a ceremony in the presence of the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago, and the Secretary of State of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor. The creation of this institute had been proposed at the 5th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program, chaired by Luis Magalhães, President of the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and held at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA, on the 27th and 28th of May 2009.
Launch of the Harvard Medical School – Portugal Program
The cooperation Program between the Portuguese State and the University of Harvard, through the Harvard Medical School (HMS), Harvard Medical School – Portugal Program, was launched on 21 May 2009, at the Pavilion of Knowledge (Pavilhão do Conhecimento), in Lisbon, at a ceremony which was attended by the Portuguese Prime Minister, José Sócrates, and the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago, the Minister of Health, Ana Jorge, the Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, and the Assistant Secretary of State for Health, Francisco Ramos.

Also attending the ceremony were the Presidents of FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, IP and of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities with medical degrees, the Deans of all the Faculties of Medicine in Portugal and the Directors of Associated Laboratories in this area, who jointly signed the terms of their corresponding participation in the Program, along with the Deans of the Harvard Medical School (HMS), David Golan and Rick Mills, and the Co-Directors of the Program at Harvard, Tom Kirchhausen and Anthony Komaroff.
6th Meeting of the Board of Directors of the MIT – Portugal Program

The Board of Directors of the MIT – Portugal Program met on 27 April 2009, at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, for the 6th time since this Programme was started around two and a half years ago, on 11 October 2006, under the scope of the Partnerships for the Future actions integrated within the Commitment to Science for the Future of Portugal (text in Portuguese) initiative.

The Board of Directors of the MIT – Portugal Program is headed by the President of FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, João Sentieiro, and also includes the Chancellor of MIT, Phillip Clay, the Deanof MIT’s School of Engineering, Subra Suresh, the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luis Magalhães, and the directors of the Program at MIT and in Portugal, Daniel Roos and Paulo Ferrão, respectively.
Portugal and Harvard Medical School Announce Joint Program
Senior figures from the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal and the Harvard Medical School (HMS), met in Boston, USA, on 27 April 2007 to announce their intention of starting a long term collaboration which will lead to a significant development and expansion of clinical research and its transfer to Schools and Faculties of Medicine and the main Portuguese laboratories, and the creation and dissemination of medical content.

The meeting took place in Harvard Medical School. Representing the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education was the Minister himself, José Mariano Gago, the Secretary of State, Manuel Heitor, the President of FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, João Sentieiro, and the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luis Magalhães, accompanied by the Portuguese Consul in Boston, Manuela Barrios, and representing Harvard Medical School the Provost, Steven E. Hyman, the Dean for Graduate Education, David Golan, the Chief Editor of Harvard Health Publications, Anthony Komaroff, and the appointed Director at Harvard for the future Harvard Medical School-Portugal Programme, Tomas Kirchhausen.
10th Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Fraunhofer-Portugal Program
The Steering Committee of the Fraunhofer-Portugal Program met on 19 March 2009 for the 10th time since the Program was set up little more than a year ago on 18 April 2007, under the scope of the Partnerships for the Future activity as part of the Commitment to Science for the Future of Portugal (text in Portuguese) initiative.

The meeting, which took place in Porto, started with information regarding the visit of the President of the Portuguese Republic, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, to Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, in Munich, which took place on 5 March 2009, on the occasion of his official visit to Germany, where he was accompanied by the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago, and by the President of FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology and also the President of the Steering Committee of the Fraunhofer – Portugal Program, João Sentieiro, and which included a presentation from AICOS - Fraunhofer Portugal Research Center for Assistive Information and Communication Solutions which started its activities in May 2008 alongside the University of Porto, under the direction of Doctor Dirk Elias, who was hired following an international job application process held in Portugal and Germany.
Series of Seminars on Research into Public ICT Policies (7th session)
The 7th seminar in the series on research into public ICT policies, held under the scope of the CMU – Portugal Programme and financed by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, took place on 17 March 2009 at the Instituto Superior Técnico.

The seminar, held within the context of the Partnerships for the Future, activity, had as its theme “How Do Mobile-Voice Operators Compete? IVQR Estimates” with the speaker Ricardo Cabral from the University of Madeira. This was co-organised by the Institute for Robotic Systems - Lisbon and by Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
9th Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Fraunhofer-Portugal Program
The Steering Committee of the Fraunhofer-Portugal Programmeme met on 13 February 2009 for the 9th time since the Programmeme was set up little more than a year ago on 18 April 2007, under the scope of the Partnerships for the Future activity as part of the Commitment to Science for the Future of Portugal (text in Portuguese) initiative.

The meeting took place in Cologne, Germany with the aim of analysing progress made within the Programmeme and making decisions regarding its future evolution, and also preparing for the visit of the President of the Portuguese Republic to the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, in Munich, scheduled for the 5 March 2009, as part of his official visit to Germany.

Taking part in the Steering Committee meeting of the Fraunhofer – Portugal Programmeme was its President and the President of FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, João Sentieiro, the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luis Magalhães, Doctor Georg Rosenfeld from the President’s office of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG) and Professor José Luis Encarnação, also from FhG.
5th Meeting of the Governing Committee of the MIT – Portugal Program

The Governing Committee of the MIT - Portugal Programme met on 21 November 2008, at FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, for the 5th time since this Programme was started around two years previously, on 11 October 2006, under the scope of the Partnerships for the Future activities integrated within the Commitment to Science for the Future of Portugal (text in Portuguese) initiative.

The main aims of the meeting were to consider and approve the report on the Programme’s activities, with the 1st part of the meeting including the participation of the executive directors of the various areas of the Programme, to receive information from the President of the External Review Committee of the MIT - Portugal Programme, Professor Henk Sol, regarding the process of assessing the candidatures for the projects presented during the public tender opened under the scope of the Programme. It also included discussion and approval of the main strategic and budgetary guidelines, discussion and approval of the Budget Plan for 2009, and analysis of operational matters and procedures.
4th Meeting of the Governing Committee of the CMU – Portugal Program
The CMU – Portugal Programme Governing Committee met for the 4th time on 6 and 7 November 2008, at FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, to learn about the report from the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), consider the report from the Programme Directors and approve resolutions regarding the functioning of the Programme.

This Governing Committee is chaired by the President of FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, João Sentieiro, and also includes the Provost of CMU, Jared Cohon, the Dean of the School of Engineering of CMU, Pradeep Koshla, the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luis Magalhães, Alfredo Baptista from Portugal Telecom and the Programme directors at CMU and in Portugal.
2nd Meeting of the External Review Committee of the CMU – Portugal Program
The External Review Committee of the CMU-Portugal Program met for the second time on 3 to 6 November 2008 in Lisbon.

This Committee undertook an intense Program of meetings to establish direct contact with the Program Directors, and with professors from Portuguese Universities involved as well as those from CMU, students in the PhD Programmes and the Professional Masters, managers from companies associated with the Program, senior figures from Portuguese universities involved in the Programme and also those from CMU, and with the Board of Directors of the Program.
Ministerial Conference on the Internet of the Future
A Ministerial Conference on the Internet of the Future was held in Nice, France, on 6 October 2008 promoted by the French Presidency of the European Union. At the same time and in the same place, the conference entitled Internet of Things – Internet of the Future took place on 6 and 7 October.
3rd Meeting of the Governing Committee of the UT Austin – Portugal Programme
The main management body of the UT Austin – Portugal Programme, the Governing Committee, met for the 3rd time on 3 October 2008, a little more than a year and a half since the Launch of the UT Austin – Portugal Programme, on 2 March 2007. The meeting was concerned with analysing the progress verified in each area (Digital Content, Advanced Computing, Mathematics, and the stimulation of commercialisation activities related to science and technology by UTEN – the University Technology Enterprise Network), the strategic plan for each of these areas and the general guidelines for the awarding of budgets, research project bidding processes, new advanced training Programmemes for the PhD and Executive Masters Programmes, the affiliation of companies to the Programme, and improvement in the dissemination and communication of the Programme and its activities.
Series of Seminars on Research into Public ICT Policies (6th session)
The 6th seminar in the series on research into public ICT policies, held under the scope of the CMU - Portugal Programme and financed by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, took place on 7 October 2008, at 18:00, at the Instituto Superior Técnico.

The seminar took place as part of the Partnerships for the Future project with the theme “Technology adoption with forward-looking agents” and with the speaker Filomena Garcia from ISEG – Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão. This was co-organised by the Institute for Robotic Systems - Lisbon and by Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
Harvard Medical School presents Assessment of Collaboration Opportunities with Portugal
The University of Harvard’s Harvard Medical School (USA) presented the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (MCTES) with its report assessing the potential for collaboration with Portuguese university and research institutions, entitled Research and Education Collaboration: Assessment. This document is being made publicly available today and the MCTES will accept any contributions from interested Portuguese institutions, namely scientific and technological institutions, university institutions, National Health System companies and institutions until the end of January 2008, which it will forward to the Harvard Medical School for assessment.
1st meeting of the CMU-Portugal Programme’s External Review Committee
The CMU-Portugal Programme’s External Review Committee is meeting for the first time today and tomorrow, 13th and 14th December 2007, in Lisbon.

This Committee, coordinated by Professor Sir John O'Reilly from the University of Cranfield, United Kingdom, also includes the following internationally-renowned researchers: Joel Moses (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), Tariq Durrani (University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom), Luigia Aiello (University of Rome, Italy), David Audretsch (University of Indiana and Max Plank Institute, USA).
9 committees and councils of various EU programmes meeting in Braga
On 19th November 2007, the day before the High Level Conference on Nanotechnologies, 9 committees and councils of various EU programmes are meeting in Braga. These include the half-yearly Forum of National ICT Directors-General of the European Union and 3 meetings of European Technology Platform committees and councils, namely:
3rd MIT – Portugal Program Governing Committee Meeting
The MIT – Portugal Program Governing Committee will meet for the 3rd time on 10th October 2007, one day before the first anniversary of this program’s launch, to evaluate the report on the first year of activities and to discuss plans for the coming year’s activities.

This Governing Committee is chaired by the President of the FCT- Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, João Sentieiro, and also includes the MIT Chancellor, Phil Clay, the former MIT Engineering School Dean, Tom Magnanti, the President of the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luis Magalhães, and the respective directors of the program at MIT and in Portugal, Dan Roos and Paulo Ferrão.
Conferences and Bilateral Meetings with Russian and Ukrainian Research Centres
A series of conferences and bilateral meetings will take place at the ISQ – Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade from 1st to 4th October 2007 on the activities of Russia’s International Science and Technology Center (ISTC)and Ukraine’s Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU).The agenda for this event, which is entitled Approaching the CIS scientific community: ISTC and STCU meet the Portuguese business, technological and scientific players, takes in interventions on opportunities for cooperation in various areas, which include, among others: material science, nanotechnology, biochips, photonics, welding and vibrations.
CMU – Portugal Program Governing Committee Meeting
The CMU - Portugal Programme Governing Committee, chaired by the President of the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, João Sentieiro, will meet on 20th July 2007. The meeting will also be attended by the Chairman of the CMU, Jared Cohon, the Chairman of the CMU Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Pradeep Kosla, the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luis Magalhães, the Director of the Programme at the CMU, José Manuel Fonseca de Moura, and the Programme Director in Portugal, Victor Barros.
Search on for a Director and Qualified Staff for the Fraunhofer Centre/Institute in Portugal
The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and the Fraunhofer Company (FhG) signed a scientific and technological cooperation agreement on 18.04.2007 in Portugal. This agreement includes the establishment of a Fraunhofer Centre/Institute in Portugal in the Technologies Applications, Content and Services for Ambient Assisted Living field, which is scheduled for the end of 2007. The Centre/Institute will pay special attention to developing technology, content and services for less qualified citizens, the elderly and citizens with special needs who normally do not follow the development of new technologies and the demands of the emerging Information and Knowledge Society. In the area of applied research for industrial and governmental clients, the Centre/Institute will develop concepts and information and communication technologies for Ambient Assisted Living.

In this context, shows of interest from qualified individuals interested in technical and administrative management positions at the Fraunhofer Centre/Institute in Portugal will be warmly received. The positions include that of the Centre/Institute scientific director, which is a post that will also include lecturing duties in information and communication technologies at a Portuguese university. It is hoped that the Fraunhofer Centre/Institute director will be involved in both research and lecturing as part of their university activities.
Harvard – Portugal Program Launch
An agreement was signed with the Harvard Medical School on 16 April 2007 at a session starting at midday in the Pavilhão do Conhecimento in Lisbon. The principal objective of this agreement is to stimulate internationalisation and cooperation among medical faculties and the main national biomedical science laboratories and research centres.

The agreement is specifically geared towards production and dissemination of medical content, namely for medical students, teaching staff and researchers, but also for doctors and healthcare professionals and for the general public, the objective being to promote the dissemination of this content in Portuguese.
Fraunhofer – Portugal Programme Launch
At a ceremony at the Porto Customs House lasting from 11.45 am until 1 pm on 18th April 2007, a long-term collaboration agreement was signed between the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology and Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and FhG – Fraunhofer Gesellschaft - the company that manages 56 applied research laboratories in Germany and is the largest applied research organisation in Europe. This long-term cooperation agreement focuses on emerging technologies, exploring mutual interest in science and technology for social well-being, economic growth and quality of life. The focal areas for this collaboration were identified based on a preliminary opportunity analysis that was conducted in 2006. They include ICTs, biotechnology, nanotechnology, advanced production engineering and logistics.

The core objective of the agreement is to establish a framework for ongoing and systematic cooperation between Fraunhofer Institutes and R&D institutions in Portugal, and to set up a Fraunhofer Institute in Portugal in the short-term, dedicated to applied research in Technology, Applications and Services for Ambient Assisted Living. This will be the first Fraunhofer Institute to be set up outside Germany.
Launching of the UT Austin – Portugal Program
On 2nd March 2007, the agreements from the UT Austin - Portugal Program were signed at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa’s Faculty of Sciences and Technology in Almada. This comes under the Government’s current work to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation with institutions of recognised international merit in a way that enables innovative projects that effectively help boost scientific and advanced training capability in Portugal.

The UT Austin - Portugal Program encompasses the joint implementation of an International Collaboratory for Emerging Technologies, CoLab, which includes the establishment of a network to stimulate marketing activities for Science and Technology (University Technology Enterprise Network, UTEN).
Launching of CMU – Portugal Program
On 27th October 2006, the CMU – Portugal Program agreements were signed in Aveiro. This comes under the Government’s current work to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation with institutions of recognised international merit in a way that enables innovative projects that effectively help boost scientific and advanced training capability in Portugal.