Science 2010 – Meeting Science in Portugal: Themes relating to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

• Internet of the Future,
• Marine and Technological Resources for Exploring the Ocean,
• Health and Medicine,
• Nanosciences and Nanotechnology,
• Energy Production,
• Transportation and Logistics.

Two key aspects of this Meeting also merit special attention:

• The high level of participation of companies linked to science and technology and the growing importance of these to the Economy;
• The importance given to scientific and technological cooperation with countries where Portuguese is an official language, particularly in Africa.

The growing importance of science and technology to the Economy in Portugal, as the knowledge-based Economy expresses itself clearly in a global manner, and this is also shown by the more than 60 companies which join in the debates in the plenary session devoted to Energy, with a talk given by the CEO of GALP, Doutor Manuel Ferreira de Oliveira, who underlined the importance of scientific research for economic activities in energy and particularly concerning the prospecting and exploration of oil resources, and in the sessions dedicated to technology transfer companies: New technological-based companies – Knowledge base, human resources and internationalisation; Knowledge intensive services – Software, energy, telecommunications and financial services; New forms, look and uses for cork: a scientific strategy; Bio-Teams – from the laboratory to the market place; Transference and commercialisation of technology– professionalization and specialisation of backup offices. The companies which have come together with the scientists to give talks in the various sessions or participate in their debates include a vast number of innovative companies particularly evident for their products based on knowledge and technology. Alert, Alfama, Alstom Portugal, Amorim, ANA, Analog Business Group Synopsys Inc., APL, APS, Aquacria, Bioalvo, Biodivices, Biotecnol, Brisa, Continental Mabor, Coreworks, CP Carga, Createsolid, Creative Systems, Critical Software, Deimos Engenharia, Dropnil, Edisoft, EDP, Efacec, Efacec Engenharia, EMEF, Eurotrials, Feedzai, Galp, Galp Energia, GMV, Grupo Luis Simões, Innovnano, Inovisa, Log-Z, LusoSpace, Martifer, Matera, Medbone, Nokia Siemens Networks, Novabase, Oceanlinx, OGMA, Omnidea, Otlis, Portucel, Priberam, PT Inovação, REFER, Silicongate, Solar Plus, Tekever, TMG Automotive, Unicer, Vicaia, WEE Solutions, Wizi, YDreams, Zon Multimédia. The setting up of scientific and technologically-based companies has since 2005 been supported by the NEOTEC initiative – New Technology Based Companies as created by The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), co-financed by UMIC and by the Knowledge Society Operational Programme (POSC), and implemented by AdI – The Innovation Agency (site in Portuguese).

The Meeting also included a session specifically dedicated to scientific and technological cooperation with the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP - Comunidades dos Países de Língua Portuguesa), and highlighted innovative initiatives at the Doctoral and Post-Doctoral level in the Global Science Programme (text in Portuguese), launched by Portugal within the framework of the setting up of the UNESCO Advanced Training Centre for Scientists from Portuguese Speaking Countries (text in Portuguese) proposed for Portugal in the Meeting of CPLP Ministers of Science, Technology and Higher Education which took place in Lisbon on 29 August 2009, and aimed at the needs of the countries, and not only individual researchers, from a developmental perspective with the institutional help of various countries. In particular, special importance was given to cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa. This drawing closer to Africa through scientific and technological cooperation has already taken place through UMIC activities such as the organization of the conference on "Knowledge, Empowerment and Technology Transfer" in the 3rd Running of the Development Days on Knowledge, Empowerment and Technology Transfer (text in Portuguese), participation in the 1st National Angolan Conference on S&T in October 2009 , participation in the 1st Forum for Euro-African Cooperation in ICT Research in March 2009 and the 2nd of these Forums in February 2010.

The topics considered in the context of the Future Internet are explicitly mentioned in the Science 2010 – Meeting Science in Portugal : Topics Related to the Internet of the Future news item.

The area of Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies has been considered within the scope of The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) in the area of Emerging Technologies activity, particularly with regard to the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL). Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies were given a high profile at this Meeting, particularly concerning the presentations in the following topics: Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies and Microelectronics, Nanomaterials Applications.

In sessions focusing on issues of the Internet of the Future presentations included the following topics:

Nanosciences

• Nanocomposite Particles for Bioapplications (video1, presentation1)
• Functionalized Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering (video2)
• Development of Chips for Diagnostics and Drug Discovery (video3, presentation2)
• Innovative bone substitutes (video4, presentation3)
• Development of a Lab-on-a-Chip for Detection of DNA Based on Gold Nanoparticles Using Inkjet Printed Sensors (video5, presentation4)

Nanotechnology and Microelectronic Applications

• Microfluidic Integration and Optoelectronic Detection for Labs-on-Chips (video6, presentation5)
• Intelligent Polymer Nanoparticles for DNA Recognition (video7, presentation6)
• Functionalization of Magnetoelectrics for Spintronics (video8, presentation7)
• Graphene Production of Functionalised Carbon Nanotubes (video9, presentation8)
• Hybrid Solar: Creating Sinanocrystals/Polymer-Hybrid Films for Solar Cells (video10, presentation9)

Nanomaterials

• Functionally Thin Films of Perovskite (presentation10)
• Nanostructured Materials for Tissue Regeneration (presentation11)
• Dipeptide crystals: Potential Applications in Adsorption and Selective Permeation (presentation12)
• Metal Complexes Based on Hybrid Nanomaterials and Nanostructured Films (presentation13) to correct error in "complexes"
• Zeolites: Catalytic Nano-sized Materials (presentation14).