On October 8, Católica Braga will host Innovation Day, an initiative aimed at the economic and industrial sectors, with a focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, and the transfer of scientific and technological knowledge. The event will take place in Room 1.2 of the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences (FFCS), starting at 9:30 a.m.
As part of the DeepTech Transfer project, organized by the Portuguese Catholic University, Innovation Day aims to bring academia and the business community closer together by creating a space for researchers, master’s and doctoral students, and various stakeholders from the economic and industrial sectors to meet.
The DeepTech Transfer project aims to promote the transfer and economic valorization of scientific and technological knowledge, with a focus on the areas of Agri-Food Biotechnology, Biomedicine and Health, the Environment, and Information Technologies. In particular, the initiative seeks to strengthen the processes and tools for knowledge transfer to the business sector, both nationally and internationally, as well as to create better conditions for the development of startups by transforming innovative ideas and technologies developed by researchers and students at UCP’s regional centers in Porto, Viseu, and Braga.
Throughout the morning, Innovation Day will bring together representatives from public entities, companies, and organizations linked to the innovation ecosystem, fostering reflection and the sharing of experiences regarding entrepreneurship, financing, and strategies to drive innovation.
The opening session, at 9:30 a.m., will feature Álvaro Santos, President of CCDR-Norte; Luís Rodrigues, Executive Director of InvestBraga; and Paulo Dias, Vice Rector of Católica Braga. This will be followed, at 9:45 a.m., by a keynote address by Hermano Rodrigues of EY, focusing on entrepreneurship strategies and Innovation 2040.
The program also includes two roundtable discussions. The first, at 10:15 a.m., will focus on “Financing Entrepreneurship and Innovation,” bringing together representatives from Banco Português de Fomento, IAPMEI, CCDR-Norte, and CIM Cávado. After the coffee break, at 11:30 a.m., the second roundtable, on the topic “Strategies and Tools to Drive Innovation,” will feature representatives from COTEC Portugal, DST, BestHealth4U, and VGSI.
The event concludes with a Q&A session at 12:30 p.m. and a closing session at 12:45 p.m. featuring Jorge Portugal, Ana Salazar, and Bruno Nobre.
More than just an opportunity to share knowledge, Innovation Day aims to foster networking and the creation of collaborative networks, bringing the University and businesses closer together and strengthening future partnerships. The event thus provides an opportunity to identify challenges and opportunities for collaboration, promote bilateral relationships between academia and the business community, and contribute to the development of new collaborative projects.
