Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Tecnologia e Ciência
INESC TEC
O INESC TEC é uma instituição privada sem fins lucrativos que se centra em atividades de investigação científica e desenvolvimento tecnológico, transferência de tecnologia, consultoria avançada e formação, e pré-incubação de novas empresas de base tecnológica.
ID: 412337333479-77
Lobbying Activity
Response to European Research Area (ERA) Act
10 Sept 2025
INESC institutes, Portugal's leading research and technology organisations, present their strategic response to the European Commission's consultation on the European Research Area (ERA) Act. Taking stock from decades of experience connecting universities, industry, polytechnics, and regions, INESC institutes promote the ERA Act's ambitious target to invest 3% of GDP in research and development, but emphasises that this goal should be binding. National and regional investment plans must be put forward that will be aligned with Horizon Europe Framework Programme 10 (FP10) and EU cohesion policy. Those roadmaps need to be embedded in an EU R&I Semester process that can monitor Member States' progress in a custom way according to their differentiated trajectories and structural disparities. We highlight the importance of increased investments in applied industry-driven research to unlock private investments that will reinforce the public funding. A key systemic issue is the fragmentation between EU, national, and regional research strategies and funding. INESC institutes call for stronger and more streamlined coordination of research and technology infrastructures to break down silos and promote strategic alignment. These infrastructures should be viewed and managed as shared assets across regions and countries to support value chain diversification and address the ongoing innovation divide. INESC institutes stand as a trusted partner to offer their expertise to help map infrastructure needs in support of the Commission's forthcoming European Strategy for RTIs. To address the talent gap in research and innovation, INESC institutes advocate for a common ERA Career Framework that sets minimum employment standards, ensures social rights and pension portability, and formally recognises experience across academia, research organizations, and industry. This framework should include support for early-career researchers, such as stabilization grants and mentoring, especially in the regions facing the greatest challenges. We propose a dedicated EU program to encourage mobility between research and technology organizations and industry, alongside simplified visa and permit schemes with mutual recognition of qualifications for non-EU researchers. The ERA's "fifth freedom", the free movement of knowledge, researchers, and ideas, requires removing barriers to knowledge-sharing caused by inconsistent open science policies and limited access to reliable data. We need to stress the importance of harmonisation based on tools like the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) and European Data Spaces, ensuring data is FAIR and protecting rights tied to publicly funded results. At the same time, these open practices must be balanced with strong safeguards against foreign interference and intellectual property risks, requiring robust EU-wide research security measures and protocols. INESC institutes recommend a strategic focus of the ERA Act that will link the knowledge generation to market uptake through a European mechanism that will support applied R&D&I projects and infrastructures. They promote the idea of an EU R&I Semester mechanism that will align national research and innovation agendas against EU priorities and link those with a consistent annual monitoring cycle that can foster coherence. The concept of an ERA Career Framework is put forward to nurture the new talents in the R&D&I domain, retain the existing ones, and attract new from the international pool. Researchers should be entitled to dedicated early career support and stabilisation grants and tailored schemes of research mobility. The ERA Act should also prioritise measures to safeguard scientific freedom and research security that can transform Europe into the most trusted knowledge space where researchers can thrive in environments of protected scientific freedom and advanced research security protocols. Please find attached the full version of our official position paper.
Read full responseResponse to Roadmap for artificial intelligence and digitalisation for energy (RAID-E)
26 Aug 2025
This feedback provides recommendations on the 5 key goals outlined in the Call for Evidence. 1. Accelerate the deployment of digital and AI solutions in the energy system A clear framework is needed to identify use cases where AI should be prioritized over model-driven approaches. Key scenarios include: i) real-time control and decision-making in normal and emergency situations; ii) modeling of complex systems with uncertainty, partial observability, or non-stationary environments; iii) accelerating simulations via data-driven proxies and physics-informed machine learning; iv) explaining complex systems and optimization problems to decision-makers; and v) forecasting events and associated uncertainty using heterogeneous data sources. Data availability alone is insufficient. Ontologies that enable semantic integration across sources and can interact bidirectionally with large language models are essential to add meaning and context to data. Investment in synthetic data generation should be a priority, spanning asset, network, and market levels, and different temporal resolutions (e.g., high-frequency data, climate impact projections). Data- and model-driven digital twins (e.g., HE TwinEU project) are key building blocks, but should be complemented by generative and statistical time-series models, remote sensing, and open platforms (e.g., OpenStreetMap) for improved system/network modeling. 2. Foster research, innovation, and coordination to prepare the energy system of tomorrow EU programmes should support AI learning paradigms less developed outside the EU, notably neuro-symbolic and physics-informed approaches, which combine decades of expert knowledge with data [1]. Exploring human-AI co-learning strategies can strengthen transparency, explainability, and human oversight, fully aligned with the AI Act. Building on international collaborations (e.g., GridFM [2]), investment should focus on foundation models for power system operation and market bidding, supported by large-scale synthetic data generation. 3. Sustainably integrate data centres electricity demand into the energy system It is important to distinguish data centers from high-performance computing (HPC) centers, as the latter introduce new operating conditions due to AI training and inference. Key differences [3]: i) HPC thermal and electrical load is partly controllable, but flexibility is limited by high utilization rates, resource management constraints, and service quality obligations; ii) HPC hardware cannot be managed as in cloud frameworks, and the requirement for high availability limits aggressive energy management (e.g., server shutdowns) common in cloud environments. 4. Enhance transparency and risk oversight Projects such as HE AI4REALNET already propose frameworks for integrating AI into critical infrastructures, developed through academia-industry collaboration [4]. These frameworks should guide future EU action. The ALTAI tool should also be adapted for the energy sector and applied during AI design to address ethical and risk issues from the outset. The AI4REALNET project has provided recommendations to improve ALTAI for critical infrastructures [5]. 5. Establish a coordination and governance framework Open-source software (OSS) should be prioritized to maximize AIs benefits in the energy sector. Sustainable OSS business models require partnerships with associations that support community building and long-term maintenance. Good references are Linux Foundation Energy and Mozilla. European associations such as Adra, BDVA, and AIOTI should cooperate with these organizations to create a strong OSS ecosystem for AI in Europe. Ricardo J. Bessa INESC TEC, Portugal [1] https://doi.org/10.35833/MPCE.2024.000478 [2] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2024.11.002 [3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032123008778 [4] https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.16133 [5] https://ai4realnet.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/D1.1-AI4REALNET-framework-and-use-case
Read full responseResponse to European strategy on research and technology infrastructures
22 May 2025
INESC TEC welcomes the European Commissions initiative to develop a strategic framework for Research and Technology Infrastructures (RTIs) and affirms its alignment with the Commissions diagnosis of systemic challenges. Fragmented governance, underdeveloped lifecycle investment models, limited cross-infrastructure interoperability, regional disparities, and insufficient coordination across funding instruments remain persistent barriers to fully leveraging RTIs as enablers of European excellence and strategic autonomy. From INESC TECs perspective, RTIs must be treated as integrated public policy instruments that serve the full research and innovation value chain, from advanced training and frontier science to technology development and industrial deployment. Their effectiveness depends on coordinated governance, sustained funding, and ecosystem-level integration. This strategy must also respond to emerging global competition, where RTIs are embedded within industrial and defence architectures that combine infrastructure, skills, data, and long-term mission alignment. In response, INESC TEC proposes a six-point agenda for an ambitious, inclusive, and operational RTI strategy: 1) Establish cohesive EU governance structures aligned with national and regional policies, including an Observatory for Technology Infrastructures; 2) Develop integrated lifecycle investment mechanisms; 3) Enable interoperability through standards, shared service platforms, and digital operations; 4) Facilitate inclusive access, especially for SMEs and underrepresented actors; 5) Address regional imbalances through targeted support and widening participation incentives; and 6) Embed RTIs across European missions, transition pathways, and smart specialisation strategies. INESC TEC remains committed to advancing this vision through evidence-based policy input, international cooperation, and operational leadership in both research and technology infrastructures.
Read full responseResponse to EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy
17 Mar 2025
Summary of INESC TECs Contribution to the EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy (Full document attached) INESC TEC welcomes the European Commissions initiative to strengthen the EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy, emphasising the need for targeted actions essential to supporting early-stage deep-tech ventures. As a Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) based in Portugal, with considerable experience in technology transfer, spin-off creation, startup acceleration, and international collaborations, we offer concrete insights reflecting the challenges startups face and suggest specific actions. Startups, particularly in deep-tech, encounter significant barriers accessing finance, markets, talent, and critical infrastructure, as well as navigating complex regulations. Access to finance remains particularly challenging due to limited early-stage funding, complex investment conditions, and insufficient Proof-of-Concept (PoC) funding. Lengthy negotiations, small investment rounds, and misaligned grants further hinder growth. Regulatory complexity and fragmentation across Europe also significantly affect startups. Slow regulatory processes and uncertainty such as that created by the Medical Device Regulation (MDR), GDPR, and the AI Act place European ventures at a disadvantage compared to global competitors, notably in the US and China. Additionally, rigid public procurement processes, fragmented markets, and limited industry-academia-startup collaboration restrict market access and scaling potential. Talent shortages are another crucial barrier. Despite high-quality technical talent available in Europe, startups struggle to attract and retain entrepreneurial and business expertise due to limited funding and compensation below global standards. Complicated visa procedures also hinder the recruitment of international talent. Specialised infrastructures for deep-tech testing and validation are scarce, particularly beyond Life Sciences, and current support services such as Living Labs, mentoring, and networking programs remain insufficient. Structural asymmetries in funding, international visibility, and access to developed value chains further limit European startups global competitiveness. To effectively address these barriers, the EU should take targeted actions: significantly expand flexible Proof-of-Concept funding inspired by successful UK and US models; simplify investment conditions to attract international venture capital; streamline regulations and procurement processes; foster venture-building initiatives to pair technical teams with seasoned entrepreneurs; and increase investment in specialised infrastructure and structured acceleration programs. Moreover, harmonising incentives for foreign investors, reducing regional funding disparities, and promoting joint ventures across Europe would enhance integration into strategic global value chains. Please refer to the attached document for our full contribution.
Read full responseResponse to The European Oceans Pact
14 Feb 2025
The EU Ocean Pact is essential for protecting marine ecosystems while fostering sustainable economic growth. It aims to safeguard biodiversity, enhance marine resilience, and support coastal communities reliant on ocean industries. Growing demand for marine food strains fisheries and aquaculture, risking overfishing and pollution. Sustainable practices and global efforts are essential to balance production with ecosystem health for long-term sustainability. To ensure the sustainable use of oceans, actions must be taken. Shipping policies should target 100% renewable energy transition, incentivising green energy adoption and port electrification. Decarbonising maritime transport through technological innovations, including hydrogen-based fuels and electrification, is crucial in reducing emissions. To improve sustainability, fisheries must integrate advanced technology, using marine autonomous systems for fish herding, selective harvesting, and real-time monitoring. Innovations such as AI-powered monitoring systems and remote sensing technologies will enable more precise resource management and reduce bycatch. Despite their immense contributions, ocean ecosystem services remain difficult to quantify economically. Their value depends on interactions between atmosphere, land, and ocean, yet their precise influence on industries is not fully understood. Ocean acidification and pollution disrupt fish migration posing threats to fishing industries and biodiversity. Understanding and assessing these services is vital for sustainable resource management. Additionally, habitat degradation and climate change exacerbate these challenges, affecting fisheries, marine tourism, and coastal protection efforts. Global estimates (OCDE) place the value of marine ecosystem services between $490 per hectare annually for open ocean benefits and $350,000 per hectare for coral reef services. Recognising this significance is crucial for integrating sustainability into economic planning. Valuing these services accurately could support more effective policy-making and encourage investments in ecosystem protection and restoration. Governments and international bodies must adopt new frameworks to integrate ecosystem valuations into economic models, ensuring environmental costs are accounted for in maritime industries. Addressing coastal resilience and marine pollution is crucial for ocean sustainability. Strengthening coastal ecosystems mitigates climate change impacts, while waste management and circular economy initiatives preserve biodiversity. Integrating these priorities into maritime policies ensures a resilient blue economy for future generations. Public awareness and community engagement play a pivotal role in achieving these goals. Encouraging responsible consumption, reducing plastic pollution, and supporting local initiatives can empower individuals and businesses to contribute to ocean sustainability. Policies must be implemented to engage civil society in playing an active role in their overall behaviour, ensuring a healthier future for our oceans and future generations. Achieving the goals of the EU Ocean Pact requires innovative approaches, alternative financing, and data-driven decision-making. Investment in marine research, sustainable practices, and ecosystem preservation will balance economic growth with environmental protection. Supporting ocean-based renewable energy sources, such as offshore wind and tidal energy, will be critical for reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. Additionally, promoting international collaboration on ocean governance will strengthen efforts to combat illegal fishing and marine pollution. Concerted efforts from policymakers, industries, and society will ensure ocean health and productivity for future generations. Aligning economic growth with environmental stewardship enables the EU Ocean Pact to create a sustainable framework balancing marine resource and ocean conservation imperatives.
Read full responseMeeting with João Cotrim De Figueiredo (Member of the European Parliament)
15 Nov 2024 · Research
Meeting with Elisa Ferreira (Commissioner)
6 Feb 2020 · Research & Innovation Policy in the context of the new MFF