Two INESC TEC researchers travelled to Germany for three days, exploring technologies with the potential to make a real impact at the heart of Europe’s innovation scene, Their mission was to discover the latest developments in areas relevant to INESC TEC and identify opportunities for future collaboration.
Industrial automation, robotics, AI, sensing, quantum technology, smart prototyping and sustainable manufacturing. This could be a snapshot of INESC TEC’s research activities, but it also captures much of what was on display over three days at Messe Stuttgart, one of Europe’s leading venues for innovation and knowledge sharing.
Researchers Roberto Magalhães Silva and Rui Pedro Nascimento represented INESC TEC at four trade fairs in Stuttgart from 6 to 9 October, taking the opportunity to explore potential partnerships across Europe – that was precisely what the Institute set out to achieve in Germany.
Over the course of the visit, the researchers toured exhibition halls and displays to showcase not only INESC TEC’s research and development results, but also Portuguese technological expertise and the technologies developed under the PRODUTECH R3 PRR Agenda.
“We identified emerging trends, met potential users of our technologies and established new connections for technology transfer and future European collaborations,” said Roberto Magalhães Silva.
The researcher had already visited Germany at the end of September for the inaugural edition of Europe Defence Expo. At the event in Essen, INESC TEC was there to demonstrate how it can help transfer technologies to businesses.
The trip to Stuttgart had a similar purpose: the itinerary began at VISION, a trade-fair showcasing emerging solutions in machine vision and inspection systems. Describing the first day as “dedicated to observing and learning”, Rui Pedro Nascimento highlighted the opportunity to present the results of the NGS – New Generation Storage project, a PRR Mobilising Agenda focused on batteries and energy storage that recently ended.
“Machine vision is playing an increasingly important role in industry, from inspection and quality control to automation and support for more flexible and intelligent production systems. Being on the ground allows us not only to discover new solutions, but also to identify technologies, trends and potential applications that could help address the challenges we are working on,” the researcher explained.
There was also time to explore how humanoid robots are already transforming logistics, manufacturing and services. The Humanoid Robots in Action conference, featuring a delegation from Shenzhen and leading players in the field, offered a “brilliant” opportunity to see the potential of humanoid robotics in action – an area in which INESC TEC is also active.
INESC TEC welcomes KIRCHHOFF Automotive to explore the role of humanoid robotics in production
According to the organisers, 90% of the approximately 9,000 VISION attendees are involved in investment and purchasing decisions at their companies. Roberto Magalhães Silva saw this as an important indicator for the Institute: “We gained a clearer understanding of where the market is heading and identified future industrial needs, helping ensure that our research and innovation activities remain aligned with the groundbreaking trends shaping the next generation of smart manufacturing and robotics.”
Day two followed a similar pattern, with the researchers focusing on Motek and Quantum Effects. Industrial automation, robotics, production systems and emerging technologies were the main themes of this second stage of their visit to Germany.
Once again, the events provided a “relevant setting for anyone working at the interface between research and industry”, said Rui Nascimento. INESC TEC split the day between two trade fairs: in the morning, Quantum Effects offered a glimpse of the possibilities quantum sensors could unlock in critical sectors such as medicine.
In the afternoon, the focus returned to robotics at Motek. Roberto Magalhães Silva was particularly pleased to visit the Portuguese PRODUTECH stand. “This presence raises the profile of Portuguese innovation and creates opportunities for technology transfer, industrial adoption and future European collaborations,” he added.
The final day at Messe Stuttgart focused on electronics manufacturing, from smart prototyping and miniaturisation to automation, testing and sustainable production. Among the trends identified by the INESC TEC researchers at EFX – Expo for Electronics Manufacturing was the emergence of equipment that works much like a 3D printer but can produce prototypes of printed circuit boards, essential components in virtually every electronic device.
Another prominent trend at the event, which brought together 4,800 experts, was the growing investment in electronic equipment recycling and the circular economy. “More and more companies are investing in technologies that recover value from electronic waste and reduce dependence on finite resources. This is particularly encouraging for INESC TEC: it confirms that our work in sustainability, advanced manufacturing and circularity is aligned with real market needs, which are becoming increasingly urgent,” Roberto Magalhães Silva stressed.
After three intensive days, the researchers returned to Porto with a clear ambition: to turn what they had learnt into new partnerships, stronger proposals and opportunities to transfer technological solutions to industry, delivering measurable impact.
News, current topics, curiosities and so much more about INESC TEC and its community!
