From robotics and energy laboratories to the development of the ocean basin at the Leixões Blue Hub, INESC TEC had the opportunity to showcase to Secretary of State Salvador Malheiro the research and innovation that will help shape the future of Portugal’s Blue Economy – including ongoing efforts to develop the INESCTEC.OCEAN Centre of Excellence.
In December, INESC TEC hosted a visit by the Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea, Salvador Malheiro, accompanied by the Director-General for Maritime Policy, Marisa Lameiras. The Institute’s main auditorium hosted a joint meeting with INESC TEC’s Board of Directors, the INESCTEC.OCEAN team, and researchers responsible for ocean-related projects and domains.
“The visit of the Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea represented a particularly important opportunity to deepen dialogue between the scientific and technological system and the definition and implementation of public policies for the Sea,” said João Claro, Chairman of the Board at INESC TEC.
According to him, the meeting “made it possible to address ongoing strategic initiatives whose consolidation and scalability are decisive for boosting Portugal’s positioning in the Blue Economy.”
Focusing on INESC TEC’s vision for the ocean, the programme included presentations of flagship ocean R&D infrastructures. José Manuel Mendonça, President Emeritus of INESC TEC and Coordinator of INESCTEC.OCEAN, presented the Institute’s ocean strategy, highlighting the activities promoted by the Centre of Excellence in Ocean Research and Engineering.
Luís Seca, Member of INESC TEC’s Board of Directors, presented the work developed by the Companhia de Energia Oceânica, a company jointly owned by INESC TEC and WavEC Offshore Renewables – namely the services provided by the Aguçadoura offshore test platform for marine technologies and structures, located off the coast of Póvoa de Varzim.
Building the future of the national Blue Economy also involves what will be one of Europe’s largest marine technology testing tanks. Eduardo Silva, INESC TEC researcher and Scientific Coordinator of INESCTEC.OCEAN, detailed the actions and ambitions of the Leixões Blue Hub, emphasising the ongoing construction of an ocean basin 10 metres deep and with a volume of 18,000 cubic metres, capable of simulating waves and currents similar to real marine conditions.
“Initiatives like INESCTEC.OCEAN embody the [Portuguese] Government’s vision in promoting a Sustainable Blue Economy model based on knowledge and innovation,” says Salvador Malheiro. The Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea emphasises that “the added value that technological development brings to the Blue Economy is evident, whether in the qualification of primary sectors and traditions, or in the emergence of new activities and uses of the sea.” “We are talking about an increase in competitiveness around one of the country’s greatest resources,” the Secretary of State concludes.
Following the meeting, the visit continued with tours of several INESC TEC research infrastructures, including the x-Energy Lab and the Laboratory of Robotics and Autonomous Systems. On both occasions, Salvador Malheiro was able to observe research activities related to key areas of the Blue Economy, like offshore renewable energy and marine robotics.
Despite heavy rain, the delegation concluded the visit at the construction site of the ocean basin at the Leixões Blue Hub, located at the Logistics Platform II of the Port of Leixões.
The meeting with the Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea marked a moment of convergence between science, innovation and public policy, in a joint effort towards a “bluer” – and greener – future.
The researcher Eduardo Silva is associated with INESC TEC and IPP-ISEP. The Chairman of the Board, João Claro, is associated with INESC TEC and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto.
The news article has been updated on January 22, 2026, with comments of the Secretary of State for the Fisheries and the Sea, Salvador Malheiro.
