UT Austin Portugal Conference 2023

UT Austin Portugal Conference 2023
Reviewing a 16-year journey with an eye to the future.

INL hosted the 2023 edition of the UT Austin Portugal Program Annual Conference.

The event – the largest knowledge-sharing and networking initiative of the Program – brought together at INL the UT Austin Portugal community and worldwide renowned experts.

The conference fostered lively discussions and interactions that explored the successful journey of the past 16 years and culminated in an ideation exercise focused on the future.

“In the dynamic landscape of research and innovation, the UT Austin Portugal Program is now embarking on a new horizon as it completes its third funding cycle. Guided by its 16-year legacy of achievements, this collaboration charts a visionary path, recognizing that true scientific progress requires the need for nanoscience and nanotechnology.” highlighted Paulo Ferreira, UT Austin Portugal Program’s Area Director for Nanotechnologies from INL.

The community analysed how the Nanotechnologies Program has evolved through the latest phase and shined a bright light on the near future, as advanced by Brian Korgel, UT Austin Portugal Area Director for Nanotechnologies from UT: “Now we’re thinking about phase four and what should be the evolution of the Program regarding the role of nanotechnologies and the emerging focus areas to keep an eye on, such as energy.” For Korgel, it is also important to highlight the power of the synergies created throughout the Program, since “along with scientific productivity and output, the UT Austin Portugal is all about people and bridging the two cultures to make both countries better, and, ultimately, make the world a better place.”

With the theme “Modelling the Future”, the agenda of the 2023 edition of the conference promoted insightful discussions around topics such as Clean Energy, Advanced Computing and Nanotechnologies, fostered engaging networking moments and featured an E-Poster exhibition.

The event stressed the importance of the Program to the United States of America and Portugal, and, according to Paulo Ferreira, confirms the belief that it will “enable a transformative era of discovery, innovation, and societal impact”.