After several months of preparation, the Hub Azul Portugal network officially launched at the Leixões Cruise Terminal. The initiative brings together six innovation hubs across the country, all set to give a new boost to science, technology and the Portuguese maritime industry. One of the network’s flagship facilities is led by INESC TEC: Hub Azul Leixões – Polo I.
The platform aims to connect infrastructures, expertise and specialised capabilities distributed throughout Portugal, strengthening the country’s ability to address the current challenges and opportunities of the Blue Economy while opening a new chapter for national blue innovation.
The kick-off ceremony relied on José Manuel Mendonça, Coordinator of INESCTEC.OCEAN and current Vice-President of Fórum Oceano, the organisation responsible for managing the national network.
The President Emeritus of INESC TEC was joined on stage by Luísa Salgueiro, Mayor of Matosinhos; João Neves, President of APDL – the Port Authority of Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo; and Salvador Malheiro, Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea.
In addition to members and partners, the event brought together representatives from regional and national public bodies – including the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N) and the Directorate-General for Maritime Policy (DGPM) -, as well as universities, research centres, industry representatives and other stakeholders from Portugal’s Blue Economy.
During the presentation of the innovation hubs, INESC TEC unveiled the key contribution to the Hub Azul Portugal network: the leadership of Hub Azul Leixões – Polo I. Alongside the Institute, the founding consortium includes APDL, Fórum Oceano, the Municipality of Matosinhos and CIIMAR (the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto).
Eduardo Silva, Head of the infrastructure and INESC TEC researcher – as well as Scientific Coordinator of INESCTEC.OCEAN and a lecturer at the School of Engineering of the Polytechnic of Porto (ISEP) – outlined a facility designed to transform the future of marine research and technological innovation in Portugal.
Featuring an ocean basin 10 metres deep, Hub Azul Leixões – Polo I will house one of Europe’s largest testing tanks for marine technologies. The facility will provide 18,000 cubic metres of testing space for the validation of marine robotics, structures, equipment and other maritime technologies. The basin will also be equipped with current and wave generators capable of producing waves of up to half a metre in height, allowing pre-commercial ocean conditions to be simulated.
The infrastructure, however, extends far beyond the testing basin. Hub Azul Leixões – Polo I will also include laboratory facilities, workshops and a Scientific Diving Centre led by CIIMAR. As a multifunctional facility, the basin will feature a 30-metre-deep shaft designed for both basic and advanced diving training, as well as equipment testing and biodiversity and environmental impact studies.
The initiative also includes the Blue Biobank, coordinated by CIIMAR and located at the Leixões Cruise Terminal, while the main complex will be based at Logistics Platform II of the Port of Leixões. The Blue Biobank will manage an archive dedicated entirely to mapping, indexing and facilitating access to a wide range of marine resources, including photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic microorganisms (such as bacteria and fungi), as well as deep-sea species.
Alongside Hub Azul Leixões – Polo I, the Hub Azul Portugal network includes five additional innovation hubs: Leixões II, Aveiro, Peniche, Oeiras Mar and Olhão. In the area of education, the platform also incorporates the Infante D. Henrique Nautical School and FOR-MAR, together forming the Hub Azul School.
Beyond academia and research, the national network also aims to establish strong links with Portugal’s maritime industries. To date, the platform has identified at least 45 “innovation challenges”.
The goal is to address the real needs of companies, organisations and regions by creating a structured innovation agenda capable of connecting concrete challenges with technological solutions, scientific knowledge and new collaboration opportunities.
By coordinating Hub Azul Leixões – Polo I, INESC TEC further reinforces a position at the forefront of innovation for the maritime sector. Building on more than three decades of expertise in marine robotics, the Institute is now extending the investment through the INESCTEC.OCEAN Centre of Excellence, with the clear ambition of developing technological solutions that support a thriving Blue Economy and a more sustainable ocean.
