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Innovation Ecosystem - Innovation District

FEUP is located in the Porto Innovation District, a technological centre with a strong presence in engineering, health sciences and entrepreneurship.

FEUP is located in the Asprela Pole of the University of Porto, an area known as the Porto Innovation District.

Concentrated in one square kilometre, this area is home to several faculties of the University of Porto, schools of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, private universities, a central teaching hospital, an oncology institute and several national and international research institutes.

With around 50,000 people, it is primarily a technological centre, where the strong presence of engineering technologies, health sciences and entrepreneurship give considerable impetus to the innovation process.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The Porto Innovation District is also the centre of the University of Porto Science and Technology Park (UPTEC). UPTEC is a structure that brings together more than 200 projects, including start-ups, innovation centres, anchor companies and business projects. A study by the Faculty of Economics at U.Porto showed that in 2019, UPTEC companies had an economic impact of 284 million euros on GDP, while creating 6,464 jobs.

In 2013, UPTEC received the Regio Stars Award in the 'Smart Growth' category, organised by the European Commission - the first time that a Portuguese university has received an award for regional development projects at European level.

FEUP is also home to the Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (INEGI) and the Institute of Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC).

In short, the Porto Innovation District is full of the entrepreneurial spirit and multidisciplinary research that have enabled the FEUP to break new ground and expand its expertise.