Innovation in Industry and Circular Economy Highlighted at Católica's Innovation Day
What is innovation and what are the challenges and opportunities of linking scientific research to innovative solutions? This was the central theme of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the Faculty of Biotechnology (ESB) of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and the 5th edition of the Transform4Europe (T4EU) Science Café.
‘The word innovation has been a little abused over the last few years,’ overused, said Ricardo Simões, Director of Innovation at CCDR-Norte, moderator of the T4EU Science Café. It is therefore imperative to remember the definition as ‘the successful exploitation of new ideas’, not just in terms of profit, but of transferring value to society, as emphasised by Guido Bortoluzzi, Professor of Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Trieste.
‘It's essential to bring science closer to people and to the real challenges of companies. Initiatives like this reinforce the transformative role of universities as drivers of innovation,’ said Céline Abecassis-Moedas, Pro-Rector for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Católica.
Giving practical examples of co-operation between academia and the business world, the Pro-Rector of Católica mentioned the case of Glooma, a start-up founded in 2021 by Francisco Nogueira, an ESB student, and Frederico Stock, an alumnus of the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics.
Together they designed a device to help diagnose breast cancer, and today they already have several awards and even a partnership with CUF.
Guido Bortoluzzi told how the University of Trieste worked closely with a nautical company, helping them to create the ‘first cruise ship based entirely on hydrogen’.
On this day dedicated to innovation, the T4EU Science Café discussed the challenges and opportunities of linking scientific research to innovative solutions such as the circular economy.
The session reflected on how universities and research centres can act as drivers of innovation, accelerating the transfer of knowledge to the business sector and promoting sustainable, technological and economically viable solutions.
At the same time, two special episodes of the T4EU Reach Out podcast were recorded, conducted by Beatriz Bernardes, a PhD student in Biotechnology and representative of the T4EU Student Council.
Under the topics ‘Circular Economy - General Concept and Theme Introduction’ and ‘Innovation Perspective on Circular Economy’, and with Manuela Pintado, Director of the CBQF, and Guido Bortoluzzi, University of Trieste, as guests, the episodes are due to be released later this month.
With an emphasis on eco-design, industrial symbiosis, bioeconomics and life cycle thinking, the podcasts invite listeners to reflect on the role of science and technology in building a more sustainable future.
Rewatch the session here: