Research Ecosystem - R&D Units

Varying in scale, purpose and organisational framework, U.Porto’s R&D Units are predominantly integrated into the University’s faculties and associated research institutes in which various public and private entities are also involved, thus promoting the link between R&D activities and the community. R&D Units often gather elements from multiple Portuguese higher education institutions and other entities that form part of the national science and technology system.

The ecosystem consists of 48 R&D Units, with almost 3000 integrated researchers with a PhD (2019–2021), who stand out for their competitiveness and excellence. Each R&D Unit is composed of teams of researchers, as well as equipment and technical infrastructures.

These Units form the basis of the U.Porto ecosystem, playing a fundamental role in advanced education, training and scientific activity, including scientific production and the development of R&D projects, which incorporate doctoral students as well as researchers with a PhD.

The vast majority of R&D Units own their infrastructures and facilities and provide services outside of the academic community.