MIT-Portugal Program Enters Phase 4, Continuing Collaborative Research and Innovation
After 19 years of pioneering collaboration, the MIT-Portugal Program (MPP) is entering its fourth phase, solidifying its commitment to fostering innovation and research between MIT and Portuguese institutions. The program has enabled 47 entrepreneurial spinoffs, funded over 220 joint projects, and trained numerous researchers on both sides of the Atlantic.
In March, MIT and the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) officially launched Phase 4, which will run through 2030. This new chapter will continue to support innovative ideas and solutions in fields such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and climate change.
Douglas Hart, MIT mechanical engineering professor and MPP co-director, emphasized the advantages of the program’s longevity, stating, “Over the years, we’ve learned each other’s systems, strengths and weaknesses and we’ve been able to create a synergy that would not have existed if we worked together for a short period of time.”
Phase 4 will build upon existing research projects while adding new areas of focus identified by MIT and FCT. Fernando Alexandre, Portugal’s minister for education, science, and innovation, expressed his expectation for even greater ambition and impact in this new phase, aiming to elevate Portuguese science and its capacity to transform the economy and address global challenges.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth highlighted the vital role of international collaborations like MPP in MIT’s mission, saying, “MPP offers our faculty and students opportunities to work in unique research environments where they not only make new findings and learn new methods but also contribute to solving urgent local and global problems.”
The multifaceted program includes an annual research conference, educational summits like the Innovation Workshop at MIT, and the Marine Robotics Summer School in the Azores, facilitating collaborative research through student and faculty exchanges. During Phase 3, 59 MIT students and 53 faculty and researchers visited Portugal, while MIT hosted 131 students and 49 faculty and researchers from Portuguese institutions.
While Phase 3 focused on climate science, Earth systems, digital transformation in manufacturing, and sustainable cities, Phase 4 will also focus on chips/nanotechnology, energy, artificial intelligence, and space.
Hart noted that Phase 4 will place greater emphasis on educational exchanges and entrepreneurship, stating, “We have approval in Phase 4 to bring a number of Portuguese students over, and our principal investigators will benefit from close collaborations with Portuguese researchers.”
Hansman highlighted the program’s impact on Portugal’s progress, particularly in sustainable cities and green energy. He also noted the increase in start-up companies coming out of Portuguese universities since MPP began.
A recent analysis of MPP and FCT’s U.S. collaborations underscored positive outcomes, including enhanced Portuguese research capacities, organizational upgrades in the national R&D ecosystem, and opportunities for Portuguese institutions to engage in complex projects.
This summer, the Azores will host MPP’s fifth annual Marine Robotics Summer School, offering a two-week course for Portuguese and MIT students. Hart expressed his enthusiasm for the course, emphasizing the opportunity to work with top researchers and students.
Stefanie Mueller, a professor at MIT, emphasized the program’s role in enabling research on monitoring the aquatic microbiome for potential disease outbreaks. Charlene Xia, a PhD student, is developing a system to monitor seaweed farms, showing the real-world impact of the collaboration.
As MPP enters its next phase, Hart and Hansman are optimistic about broadening its impact, aiming to involve more people and new people at MIT, as well as in Portugal, encompassing technical fields such as AI and micro-nano manufacturing, as well as in social sciences and humanities.
