The goal of INESCTEC.OCEAN is to establish a Centre of Excellence that contributes to improving Portugal’s ocean engineering ecosystem. The level of differentiation and sustainability of this ecosystem depends on the Academia’s capacity in this field. For this reason, one of the strands of INESCTEC.OCEAN is instituting up to five chairs and 20 PhD grants in topics related to ocean engineering at the higher education institutions that support the programme.
An invited chair refers to a full professor or associate professor-level position, held for five years at a university department, funded 75% by a company or institution and 25% by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The main responsibilities of a chair holders supported by a company include conducting research that advances the state of the art in the relevant field, considering the challenges faced by the sponsoring company; leading a research team made up of students and early-career researchers, ensuring the sustainability and long-term prospects of the work and concrete integration into the international research network; and establishing academic programmes that organise the knowledge generated and prepare future professionals in the field.
Moreover, chair holders play a key role in connecting industry and Academia, one of the cornerstones of the ongoing ecosystem. They are directly responsible for advancing the scientific and technical knowledge of companies and for bringing their challenges and training needs into the university. These needs will drive the design of new, realistic and well-adapted training programmes. From these programmes will emerge new generations of professionals who will support both existing companies and new initiatives.
The conditions for developing research stem from several complementary dynamics. On the one hand, the chair’s budget allows for the acquisition of equipment, travel expenses, participation in R&D activities and research grants. On the other hand, the chair’s research team can integrate some of the project’s PhD grants. Collaboration with several INESC TEC research centres and access to their laboratories is also part of the plan to favour multidisciplinary projects, which are particularly relevant in ocean-related activities. In areas that go beyond INESC TEC’s core competences, contacts are already under way to encourage collaborations, for example with the Department of Civil Engineering and Geo-Resources at FEUP, CIIMAR, and IPMA.
Already at the INESCTEC.OCEAN application submission, several companies have expressed their support for the proposed strategy, including Ocean Winds, REN, GALP and Gazelle – with working sessions organised with all of them, at different stages, to define the specific research objectives and work plans for each chair, in liaison with the university departments where they will be based. In addition to the Department of Civil Engineering and Geo-Resources at FEUP, INESCTEC.OCEAN has raised expressions of interest to the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering at FEUP and at ISEP.
Once the four party contracts – FCT, the sponsoring company, the higher education institution and INESC TEC – are signed, INESCTEC.OCEAN will launch open calls to hire the chair holders. The desired profiles may range from senior professors with well-established careers who are recognised leaders in their fields, to younger academics who have already demonstrated compelling credentials. The challenge is demanding, but national and European strategies clearly point in this direction; the opportunities in the current economic and social context are clear, and the objective conditions exist at INESCTEC.OCEAN.
Gabriel David, member of the management team responsible for coordination with Academia at INESCTEC.OCEAN and Vice-Chairman of the Board at INESC TEC
