Meet INESCTEC.OCEAN
INESCTEC.OCEAN is a striving hub, empowering impactful research, designing innovative solutions, creating new career opportunities, and shaping the future of ocean-related technology. Take a look inside our Centre of Excellence’s work, whose inspiration and ambitions in Ocean Research and Engineering are led by a shared vision of a sustainable future. Join us today for a blue tomorrow.
A "Sea of Challenges", with José Manuel Mendonça
The ocean presents a vast scenery of challenges, whose resources are precious not only for today’s Blue Economy, but for a sustainable future. As professor José Manuel Mendonça emphasises, “the sea is expected to be helpful in areas such as energy, sustainable food systems, climate change action, and also business related to fisheries, ports, shipping, and exploitation of marine resources.” In this video, the INESCTEC.OCEAN’s coordinator provides a brief look into our Centre of Excellence’s main activities and innovation goals, and what to expect from our team-up with SINTEF Ocean.
INESCTEC.OCEAN, Portugal's first Centre of Excellence to the Sea
January 28th, 2025: the Kick-Off Meeting that stamped the start of INESCTEC.OCEAN, Portugal’sa first Centre of Excellence fully dedicated to the sea! Aiming to be a global leader in Ocean Research and Engineering, INESCTEC.OCEAN is locked in contributing to knowledge transfer, maximising innovative solutions, and raising awareness about sea preservation. Led by INESC TEC, this project relies on the mentorship of SINTEF Ocean, the Norwegian world-renowned sea R&D centre. Fórum Oceano – Portuguese Cluster of the Sea – and APDL – the Douro, Leixões and Viana Ports Authority – complete the roaster of the disruptive four-member consortium that gives support to our young Centre of Excellence.
Teaming up with SINTEF Ocean, with Arne Fredheim
Getting people from different backgrounds, with different experiences together will always create innovation”. Together, INESCTEC.OCEAN and SINTEF Ocean will “develop designs for ocean industries, looking at finding solutions necessary to evolve”. SINTEF Ocean not only plays a mentorship role in this project but also looks forward to learning more in Robotics from INESCTEC.OCEAN’s expertise. Arne Fredheim, SINTEF’s Research Director for Energy and Transport, shares an insight on the team-up with our Centre of Excellence
Developing Portugal's Blue Economy, with Lídia Bulcão
INESCTEC.OCEAN’s project is essential for the development of Portugal’s sustainable economy.” Lídia Bulcão, the Portuguese Secretary of State for the Sea, highlights the Centre of Excellence’s opportunity to address “challenges posed to academia and develop innovation and technology projects”, leveraging our “national ecosystem and what’s done in every region of the country”. According to the State representative, “Teaming for Excellence” will certainly fill in the “gaps that we may have in our academia”, by learning with experienced and expert partners, skipping trial and error phases and taking “much safer, faster steps” when developing technology.
An ocean basin for the Blue Economy: INESCTEC.OCEAN lays foundation stone of the Leixões Blue Hub
With wave generation mechanisms, a 30-metre-deep diving well and being able to prepare technology for the harsh conditions of the Atlantic Ocean, this ocean basin is crucial.” INESCTEC.OCEAN and its partners inaugurated the construction works at the Leixões Blue Hub compound. The Coordinator of our Centre of Excellence, José Manuel Mendonça, highlights the essential role of the Hub Azul Leixões – Polo I for the Portuguese Blue Economy and its impact on future research.
Camões, o Mar, a Tecnologia e a Ciência Portuguesas": from the odyssey to the new edge of knowledg
It has been one month since INESCTEC.OCEAN dove through the History and future of Portugal in the sea. “Camões, o Mar, a Tecnologia e a Ciência Portuguesas” dared to go back in time so we could see the bright new ventures that lie ahead of us on our blue horizon, such as resident marine robotics, ocean-related renewables, and resilient deep-sea exploration.
Hub Azul de Leixões: The 'Blue Revolution' is underway
Hub Azul Leixões – Polo I is starting to take shape in the Port of Leixões Logistics Platform II. The structure will feature a test tank with a capacity of 18.000 cubic metres, including a 30-metre-deep diving well: one of the biggest marine tech test sites in Europe. INESCTEC.OCEAN and its partners are working closely on this groundbreaking endeavour, essential for the development of resilient and innovative technology, capable of harnessing the vast potential of the Portuguese sea.
INESCTEC.OCEAN at the United Nations: "Cooperation is the key message" for a global Blue Economy
In every country, every community, the solution may be different, but cooperation is the key message.” 🇺🇸 Last month, Eduardo Silva, INESCTEC.OCEAN Scientific Coordinator, was at the United Nations HQ, in New York City (USA), highlighting the importance of knowledge transfer and international cooperation for capacity building in ocean research. At the “United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea”, the INESC TEC researcher was invited to participate in a panel dedicated to “Capacity building and the transfer of marine technology: New developments, approaches and challenges”.
INESCTEC.OCEAN 'making waves' at the Brest 2025 OCEANS Conference
A month ago, INESCTEC.OCEAN was present at the 2025 OCEANS Conference, in Brest. “A perfect opportunity for engagement, networking, and presenting the work that we do in the labs”, emphasises Paula Lima, INESC TEC researcher. While showcasing the Institute’s ocean R&D+I capabilities at the exhibitors’ hall, our researchers also took the stage on a range of work presentations, such as ocean digitalisation, acoustic-based marine litter detection, and underwater wireless communications – including blockchain-enabled and multimodal approaches.
