The Science Summit ’20 took place at the Congress Centre in Lisbon, in a hybrid format. This annual event promotes the interaction between researchers, scientists, businesspersons and the general public, on subjects related to Science and Technology. Several sessions and debates took place during November 3 and 4, all of them adjusted to the current pandemic context – which required changing the activities that are usually done in person into digital platforms, available to all participants.
Just like in previous editions, INESC TEC was present in the 8th edition of the Science Summit, mainly through testimonials in debate sessions, presentation of technological demonstrators and scientific communications.
Focusing on the importance and challenges of science, research and innovation in the recovery of Portugal during the pandemic, the Science Summit ’20 promoted the discussion on how “to make Portugal and Europe more resilient, social, digital, greener, and global”.
Plenary sessions in person
Considering their importance in terms of programme, the plenary sessions kept their space, thus promoting the discussion of a series of key themes, through six sessions organised during the two days of the event. They were broadcast to the audience via streaming.
INESC TEC participated in the plenary session entitled “Science in Portugal, for a more Social and Digital Europe”, with Rui Oliveira, member of INESC TEC’s Board of Directors, presenting the STAYAWAY COVID, the application developed by the Institute, and explaining the process behind the system and the app’s role against COVID-19.
Scientific news discussed in thematic sessions
In a total of 26 thematic session, INESC TEC had the opportunity to participate in seven, debating a series of different topics.
Alípio Jorge, coordinator of INESC TEC’s Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support Laboratory (LIAAD), moderated the session “The Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in the State Mechanism”, on November 3. The session focused on the use of Artificial Intelligence to improve the efficiency of Public Administration bodies, while bringing them closer to the citizens. The same researcher also participated in the “PERIN Session: Digital Europe Programme and Connecting Europe Facility (DEP & CEF)”, which addressed the challenge of digital transformation through the DEP.
José Carlos Caldeira, member of the Board of Directors, participated in the session “The PERIN network – Portugal in Europe Research and Innovation Network, Strategy to promote national participation in European funding programmes in the fields of Research and Innovation, Erasmus, Space and Digital.” This session emphasised the goals of adopting a strategy to double the Portuguese presence in European Programmes in 2021-2027 (when compared to the 2014-2020 period), and obtaining approximately two billion Euros from EU funding mechanisms in the fields of Research and Innovation.
The workshop “A meeting of minds an ocean apart”, dedicated to the UT Austin Portugal Program, also took place on November 3, with interventions by Rui Oliveira (National Co-Director and member of INESC TEC’s Board of Directors) and José Manuel Mendonça (Director of the Program and Chairman of the Board of INESC TEC). This activity aimed to raise awareness of the Program and some of the most recent projects underway.
INESC TEC was also part of other sessions about collaborative laboratories, as leader or partner in different projects, such as ForestWISE or the Vines & Wines and VORTEX CoLabs, respectively.
Online technological demonstrators
The demonstrations of R&D activities this year were exclusively online, and were available on the digital platforms supporting the Summit, namely the website and the app Ciência 2020.
The first INESC TEC demonstrator showed UNEXMIN, a robot designed to explore flooded underground mines. This technology can make 3D mappings autonomously, and obtain geological data that experts cannot collect otherwise.
INESC TEC also exhibited a robotic system for oil spill mitigation developed within the scope of the ROSM – Robotic Oil Spill Mitigation project, which aims to explore and develop technology that allows the detection and control of oil spills in marine environments.
The Institute also presented a set of solutions based on computer vision to support the clinical decisions on breast cancer, showing the semi-automatic software that supports radiologists before surgeries, namely in the extensive and particular task of finding and characterising tissues and blood vessels.
Additional communications available on the website
The communications proposed to Science Summit aim to present ongoing scientific activities and recent results, thus identifying the impact on the national scientific agenda. Since this activity was cancelled in 2020, it was only possible to present the communications online; normally, the authors would present them in person, at the event’s venue.
Despite this constraint, INESC TEC presented the SAIL project (Space-Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions in the marine boundary Layer) – a project that aims to improve the knowledge of the marine boundary layer through a monitoring campaign on board the School-Ship Sagres, during its circumnavigation trip in 2020.
The Prime Minister, António Costa, and the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, participated in the opening and closing of the event. The Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, also attended the two days of activities.
The Science Summit ’20 is promoted by the Foundation for Science and Technology, in partnership with Ciência Viva – National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture, and the Committee on Education and Science. The Government supports this event through the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education.
Photo credits: Facebook page Encontro Ciência
The INESC TEC researchers mentioned in this news piece are associated with INESC TEC, FEUP-UP, FCUP-UP and UMinho.
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