A handful of opportunities

Now that we’re entering the final stage of the lockdown (a word that invaded our lives quite abruptly and will not leave our minds anytime soon) easing plan, it’s necessary to talk about, what I hope will be, the near future – namely the challenges associated with the recovery from this long and troubling pandemic.

In the previous editorial, Marta listed the main support programmes for the next decade; at this point, the well-known Recovery and Resilience Plan (also known as Bazooka, HK21 Machine Gun, Placebo, Slingshot, etc.) is the one at the forefront, due to potential benefits to the country. I would like to highlight some of Marta’s words, stating that this could be an excellent opportunity, but only if we’re “investing all the money in a productive way, effectively contributing to the country’s competitiveness (…)”.

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us – and speaking as an electrotechnical engineer – is that systems overly exposed to one type of generation (of electricity, of business, of technology) will not be as resilient whenever there’s a sudden change in demand. The same happened with tourism (I used “happened” because the parade of suitcases and the queues at restaurants have already returned), as well as with the electric system, namely regarding natural gas.

As the late Jack Welch said, “Change before you have to.” The first opportunities have arrived, with the first call for innovative ideas under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with companies and non-business entities from the Science and Technology System joining efforts to design hundreds of initiatives – which unfold into hundreds of associated projects that require many hundreds of people.

Considering what I perceive as necessary to avoid ending up with “a handful of nothing”, we must contribute to the country’s evolution and empowerment, since Portugal is in dire need of tearing up with the notion of labour-intensive workforces dedicated to the production of low-scale and low-cost products, by shifting to the development of products and services with high technological intensity and a differentiating nature.

In this sense, an institution like INESC TEC plays a key role, by generating science-based innovation that addresses the companies’ challenges. We must take advantage of our unique ecosystem, which combines the knowledge and research excellence of our academia, introduced by professors and grant holders, with the skills and inventiveness of our researchers. However, we cannot be dazzled by the significant number of opportunities and requests; we must keep focused and make sure we are able to address the country’s needs.

However, innovative technological solutions do not fully represent strength and mission. We also play an instrumental role in terms of capacity-building and valorisation of people, since they’re the true cornerstone of this transformation. The creation of a structured flow – from the 18-year-old who has just joined a Higher Education institution, to the professional entering the job market – is probably the biggest challenge that we must face throughout this process. It is crucial to train a whole new generation of people, without disregarding those who play important roles in their companies, due to their experience and knowledge. This masterly blend of experience with state-of-the-art technical and technological knowledge will certainly be the basis for a fast, yet solid evolution.

We, INESC TEC, must be able to attract and mature talent, providing the necessary conditions to help each person pave the way that motivates them the most, while granting them freedom to make their own choices: carrying out R&D activities at INESC TEC, with good prospects in terms of career and valorisation; joining companies, the best exercise in technology transfer; or even creating businesses, while exploring the work they’ve carried out at our institution. We are working hard to clarify these paths and 2022 will bring important challenges in this area.

Even more than INESC TEC, Portugal needs each and any one of us, working for the greater cause with dedication, motivation, and unity; this way, we will contribute to a country that is far more than an excellent tourism destination for those who visit us, taking advantage of a handful of opportunities to do so.

Luís Seca (Member of the Executive Board)