The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) approved 10 national projects promoted by the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC), with an estimated value of one million euros. These projects will focus on the development of technological solutions in different areas, ranging from communication networks to the management of drone fleets, sustainable solutions for vineyards, and even waste reduction in grocery retail
There are eight INESC TEC R&D centres involved in 10 projects: Centre for Applied Photonics (CAP), Centre for Biomedical Engineering Research (C-BER), Centre for Industrial Engineering and Management (CEGI), Centre for Robotics in Industry and Intelligent Systems (CRIIS), Centre for Information Systems and Computer Graphics (CSIG), Centre for Telecommunications and Multimedia (CTM), High-Assurance Software Laboratory (HASLAB) and Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support Laboratory (LIAAD).
CAP will focus on the MyTag project, whose objective is to validate a new approach for detecting chemical and biological micro contaminants.
The C-BER’s project e-LOG was approved to assess the environmental impact of different retail and distribution strategies, considering the origin and destination of the products, their nature, and the transport system used.
BeFresh, a project coordinated by CEGI, aims to tackle food waste by improving operational efficiency throughout the value chain. This project contributes to three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) part of the UN Agenda 2030.
This round of funding will also include the development of a tech solution for an economically efficient and ecologically sustainable vineyard. The Douro region will serve as case study for this project since it is more vulnerable to climate change. INESC TEC’s Centre for Robotics in Industry and Intelligent Systems will develop these solutions within the scope of the OmicBots project.
Moreover, the Institute will also develop control and management algorithms for drone fleets and information extraction algorithms, using artificial intelligence techniques. This solution will help preventing and fighting fires, which are some of the most severe natural catastrophes in Portugal. The work will be developed by CSIG researchers, in partnership with the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, within the scope of the DBoidS project.
The CIRCUMSTANCE project, whose main objective is to demonstrate that microbial DNA can be used for the early diagnosis of cancer, is led by the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) – University of Porto -, in partnership with INESC TEC’s Centre for Telecommunications and Multimedia and the University Hospital Centre of São João (CHUSJ). The success and results of this project are quite important: by detecting cancer at an early stage, it is possible to define more assertive therapeutic interventions, consequently reducing health issues and the number of deaths related to the illness.
HASLAB will develop three of the 10 approved projects: FlexComm aims to reduce the energy impact of communication networks. This project will unite, for the first time, the synergies of communication and electricity distribution infrastructures. Ibex is focused on mathematical methods for modelling and analysing flaws in cyber-physical software, contributing to the thorough development of more advanced technology in fields like medicine, automotive industry or energy. SpecRep aims to promote the adequate formal specification of reliable software components, an important technique to support programmers.
Finally, LIAAD researchers will work for three years on the ADANET project, whose objective is to propose a reliable and safe IoT network assisted by drones.
The projects are all scheduled to start in 2022.
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