On 4 November, the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory together with nine Portuguese and Spanish higher education institutions signed a consortium agreement for the creation of the Iberian FoodTec Lab (IFL), a «laboratory of excellence» in the area of food safety.
The Iberian FoodTec Lab «has the mission of implementing a collaborative Iberian agenda to promote multidisciplinary research initiatives, prepare diagnoses on the food situation in Portugal and Spain and contribute to the development and implementation of public policies». With this initiative, it is also intended to «encourage the exchange of experiences, dialogue between academic institutions, companies and international organizations and promote an equitable and healthy sustainable diet, contributing to the increase of international competitiveness».
The agreement was signed at the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, within the scope of the 33rd Luso-Iberian Summit, an event that took place in Viana do Castelo. This agreement was signed by the Polytechnic of Bragança – where the IFL’s headquarters will be located –, the Polytechnic of Viana do Castelo, INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Vigo, University of Salamanca, University of Valladolid, the University of Minho, Portuguese Catholic University, University of Porto, and the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro.
According to Lorenzo Pastrana, Lorenzo Pastrana Research Group Leader at INL, “the agri-food sector represents, on average, 15% of the GDP in the northwest of the Iberian peninsula. Moreover, in these regions, intense activity in R&D and innovation is being carried out in different entities of the scientific and technological ecosystem, delivering excellent performance indications in many scientific ranks. The Iberian FoodTec Lab (IFL) was born to enhance knowledge in food and health and boost the transfer to the productive sector. For this purpose, the leading Universities in the region and the INL will join and coordinate capabilities to generate impact in the food sector. INL is one of the founders of this initiative that will allow the Food for the Future cluster, to foster the implementation of their applications of nanotechnologies to produce personalized, healthier and safer foods and reduce food waste.“
Pedro Sanchéz, President of the Government of Spain and António Costa, Portuguese Prime Minister visit INL
Pedro Sanchéz, President of the Government of Spain and António Costa, Portuguese Prime Minister, together with Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Professor Elvira Fortunato, and the Minister of Science and Innovation of Spain, Diana Morant visited INL today under the opening of the 33rd Portuguese-Spanish Summit that is being held in Viana do Castelo.
According to the Prime Minister, “Minho is a border region which will allow us to better understand its potential. The commitment that the European Union has made regarding the effort to relocate many of the activities previously outsourced to other regions of the world in Europe, as well as the commitment to shorten value chains, and invest in the “re-industrialization” effort, is of immense complexity”.
“This effort cannot stop at Eastern Europe or Central Europe. We must have in Portugal and Spain the ability to play a crucial role”, he warned.
From the perspective of António Costa, Portugal and Spain “have the resources for this and have a unique geographical position in a more autonomous Europe that is also more open to the world”.
In the words of Pedro Sanchéz, President of the Government of Spain “we want science and innovation to contribute to transforming the economy, generating wealth and greater quality employment”.
During this visit, INL’s work was highlighted and viewed as an example of excellence in innovation, founded by the Governments of Portugal and Spain.
NANOCULTURE final webinars
The NANOCULTURE project is a strong collaboration between INL and Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR (Portugal), Indigo Rock Marine Research Station (Ireland), Universidade de Vigo, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela and Centro Tecnológico del Cluster de la Acuicultura de Galicia (Spain) and will have a series of workshops in the upcoming weeks.
The focus of the project is the aquatic ecosystems related to aquaculture, a sector of high economic relevance in the Atlantic area, namely organisms used for human consumption (cultured fish, molluscs, seaweed, sea urchins). INL researchers from the Water Quality research group developed sensors able to detect the presence of engineered metallic nanoparticles in aquaculture. Furthermore, these sensors can monitor the exposure of the nanoparticles on aquaculture specimens, and bioaccumulation, and assess their impact on human intake.
The final results of the project will be presented in a new series of Nanoculture webinars. See the details below:
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October 24th
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14h00 and 15h30 (London/Lisbon time) | English-speaking session
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October 25th
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14h00 – 15h30 (London/Lisbon time) | Portuguese-speaking session
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October 27th
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14h00 – 15h30 (Madrid time) | Spanish-speaking session
Join us!
INL highlights the impact of research on our daily lives at the European Researchers’ Night 2022
The last Friday of September 2022 marked the return of the European Researchers’ Night — the annual celebration of innovative research taking place simultaneously in more than 30 countries and 300 cities throughout Europe.
The diverse programme included games, hands-on activities, a photo booth, and the ERN2022 Photo Exhibition. We learned about biosensors, explored the world of microchips, showcased how we are fighting water pollution, illustrated how fluids work at different scales and shared the passion and the special work MISSION NERD is developing by spreading scientific knowledge to the community.
These were just a few of the possible applications that International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), and ECUM – University of Minho many other partners introduced to more than 1300 visitors 2022 European Researchers’ Night, at Altice Fórum Braga.
The audience defied all researchers with relevant questions and expressed genuine wonder as they saw “magic” happening before their eyes.
This year, ‘Science for Everyone – Sustainability and Inclusion’ was the motto that framed an event committed to raise awareness about the role of science in achieving sustainability and inclusion goals among school students and different audiences, while identifying key societal concerns about climate change and sustainable growth and linking them to science-oriented solutions and proposals.
Science Communication Meeting at INL
On October 7th, happened the first “Science Communication Meeting Antena Minho – INL”, under the radio program “Comunicar Ciência” of Antena Minho radio station.
With this empowering meeting it was intended to create a platform where science can be communicated to all types of audiences, an exciting challenge that, with the collaboration of several scientists and science communicators, has been truly successful.
This is an initiative in partnership with the “Master in Science Communication at the University of Minho” and the “European Researchers’ Night 2022” and had the following speakers and science communicators from Minho region: Elsa Costa e Silva; director of the Master in Science Communication at the University of Minho; Sara Gabriel Pereira; medical, specializing in lifestyle medicine; Andrea Pinho; PhD student at the University of Minho investigating the immune response associated with spinal cord trauma and responsible for the page @sciencewave; Ernesto Galvão; physicist researcher at INL in the field of quantum computing; and Catarina Loureiro; geologist and science communicator; responsible for the project “Stories with Science”;
This was an open and free event aimed at the general public, science lovers and the curious and was attended by almost 200 participants.
Next Page » « Previous Page -->On October 7th, happened the first “Science Communication Meeting Antena Minho – INL”, under the radio program “Comunicar Ciência” of Antena Minho radio station.
With this empowering meeting it was intended to create a platform where science can be communicated to all types of audiences, an exciting challenge that, with the collaboration of several scientists and science communicators, has been truly successful.
This is an initiative in partnership with the “Master in Science Communication at the University of Minho” and the “European Researchers’ Night 2022” and had the following speakers and science communicators from Minho region: Elsa Costa e Silva; director of the Master in Science Communication at the University of Minho; Sara Gabriel Pereira; medical, specializing in lifestyle medicine; Andrea Pinho; PhD student at the University of Minho investigating the immune response associated with spinal cord trauma and responsible for the page @sciencewave; Ernesto Galvão; physicist researcher at INL in the field of quantum computing; and Catarina Loureiro; geologist and science communicator; responsible for the project “Stories with Science”;
This was an open and free event aimed at the general public, science lovers and the curious and was attended by almost 200 participants.