Portugal has secured a major boost in European research funding, with six nationally coordinated proposals selected under the latest Teaming for Excellence call. The initiative will bring in €81 million in EU support to establish or upgrade centres of research excellence across the country. In total, the call received 64 proposals from EU Member States and associated countries, with an overall indicative budget of €270 million, making Portugal’s success a significant outcome for its national science and innovation system.
The six selected projects will strengthen Portugal’s National System for Science, Technology, and Innovation through a combination of European and national co-funding, with additional support from FCT and regional development commissions. This co-investment model ensures that national funding matches European contributions, reinforcing collaboration between domestic and EU-level research priorities. The projects are distributed across multiple regions, including Lisbon and Tagus Valley, the North, Center, Alentejo, and Algarve, supporting more balanced regional research development.
The funded centres focus on diverse strategic areas of science and innovation. These include genomic medicine through the i3S initiative at the University of Porto, interdisciplinary social and biological research at the University of Coimbra, sustainable future studies at NOVA University Lisbon, soil regeneration in Mediterranean ecosystems at the University of Évora, sustainable artificial intelligence at INESC-ID, and cultural heritage research at the University of Algarve. Each centre is designed to strengthen advanced research capacity while addressing both societal and environmental challenges.
Following approval, the institutions will proceed with formal agreements with the European Commission, with project implementation scheduled between 2027 and 2032. Individual projects receive funding ranging from €8 million to €15 million, depending on scope and research focus. This round further strengthens Portugal’s position in European research funding, bringing its total potential funding under the initiative since 2019 to around €170 million.
Portugal’s continued success in the Teaming for Excellence programme places it among the strongest performers in this EU instrument, which aims to reduce disparities in research and innovation across member states. The country already hosts several established centres of excellence under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, and this latest funding round further consolidates its growing role in European scientific collaboration and innovation leadership.
