Promoting the joint development of research, innovation and technology activities – these are the main goals of the new Memorandum of Understanding signed between INESC TEC and the Brazilian R&D institution VERTEX. The agreement marks the beginning of a “structured relationship” between the two organisations, following a process of identifying complementarities and aiming to create concrete collaboration opportunities.
As a private science and technology institution – and a spin-off of the EDGE Innovation Center at the Federal University of Alagoas – VERTEX operates in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, software development, data analysis and business intelligence (BI), embedded systems, etc., keeping regular collaborations with major companies and multinationals. “VERTEX perceives INESC TEC as a strategic partner capable of strengthening the technological and scientific dimension of the proposals, contributing to a more integrated and holistic approach with clients and partners,” explained Andreia Passos, Head of International Relations at INESC TEC.
The MoU was signed following “several exploratory interactions”, involving different INESC TEC research domains, which resulted in the identification of a strong potential for complementarity between the two institutions, “particularly in the ability to structure integrated and multidisciplinary proposals aimed at complex industrial challenges,” she mentioned.
In an initial phase, the collaboration is expected to focus primarily on challenges within the oil and gas sector, where VERTEX already has a strong position, leveraging INESC TEC’s expertise in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Digitalisation, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, namely through “joint proposals under competitive calls promoted by Brazilian companies.” According to Andreia Passos, this approach will allow “both institutions to quickly test their collaborative capacity and generate concrete short-term results.”
To ensure the effective implementation of the goals established in the memorandum – including the identification of concrete opportunities, coordination between teams and the definition of priority actions capable of generating rapid results – the role of Champion was introduced: a “technical-scientific liaison responsible for driving the agreement forward.” This role will be carried out by Ana Costa e Silva, INESC TEC researcher in Artificial Intelligence.
The signing of the memorandum adds VERTEX to a growing list of partner institutions with which INESC TEC promotes “action-oriented” agreements, following an institutional strategy that prioritises collaborations with “entities that demonstrate a clear willingness to evolve agreements into concrete initiatives.” In line with this approach, and although the memorandum covers different scientific and application areas developed within the institution, both parties agreed upon avoiding “excessive scope” that could otherwise “lead to dispersion.”
With a “pragmatic, results-oriented approach supported by monitoring mechanisms,” the signed agreement aligns with several dimensions of INESC TEC’s activities. Firstly, it strengthens the institution’s internationalisation efforts, as well as the “deepening of links with industry through access to consolidated business networks in external markets.” Secondly, it will foster “knowledge valorisation by promoting the application of INESC TEC’s expertise in highly complex industrial contexts.” Finally, it supports the institution’s “positioning within international consortia, reinforcing its capacity to participate in and lead multidisciplinary proposals.”
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