Thursday, 9/7/2017
Europa
Platform is a prime
example of university-industry relationship in Europe.
The
European Commission has chosen the University of Minho’s international platform
Fibrenamics as a case study for good practices in cooperation between higher
education institutions and the corporate world.
The Brussels report points out
51 case studies from 33 countries, in which Portugal is represented by UMinho’s
Fibrenamics and by the University of Aveiro’s programme Learning to be. The
document describes the connection between universities and businesses as “the
engine for knowledge-based societies and economies”, at a stage when Europe is
under constant pressure by word competition and new social challenges.
The
International Platform Fibrenamics of research and technological development
(RTD) in fibres and fibre materials was created in 2011. Nowadays, it has 200
partnerships with businesses and other institutions, over 500 published
scientific articles, 100 events in several countries, 19 patents and various
successful and innovative products in the market. One of them, ProtechDry, was
chosen as product of the year for incontinence.
“We are
very pleased to see that our work in promoting economic growth, innovation and
global knowledge dissemination is acknowledged”, states the Fibrenamics
coordinator, Raul Fangueiro. Fibrenamics works on a daily basis with several
companies to develop new and perfected products, and in high-end research,
managing over 20 projects at once. At the same time, it organises continuous
initiatives to promote the discussion of emerging topics and the networking
between scientists, the industry and society.
“We
constantly have in our minds that we have to inform people, in a simple and
complete way, about innovation and about the repercussions that they have in
everyone’s daily life”, adds Raul Fangueiro.
Based on the Azurém campus in
Guimarães, Fibrenamics has a multidisciplinary team, perfoming in various
sectors, such as architecture, construction, sports, medicine, protection and
transportation. Its motto is “Fibre the future”.
- read the European Commission's full report at www.ub-cooperation.eu/index/casestudies
+Info: www.web.fibrenamics.com/pt/21535/fibrenamics-da-uminho-reconhecida-pela-comissao-europeia, facebook.com/Fibrenamics
