CBQF Day 2026, held under the theme "Biotechnology for a Changing World", brought together researchers, students, industry representatives and institutional partners of the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) at the Faculty of Biotechnology (ESB) of Universidade Católica Poertuguesa for an intense and idea-filled day.
The result? A journey that clearly demonstrated that biotechnology is no longer just a promise for the future. It is a concrete response to the challenges of the present.
In the opening session, CBQF Director Manuela Pintado captured the spirit of the event, reminding participants that “in a global context marked by rapid environmental, technological and social transformations, biotechnology plays a decisive role in developing sustainable and innovative solutions.”
Alongside her, Isabel Braga da Cruz, Vice-Dean of the Portuguese Catholic University, highlighted CBQF’s strategic role within the national research ecosystem.
Three minutes to change the world
One of the most anticipated moments of the morning was the "Three-Minute Project" session, moderated by researchers Freni Tavaria and António Rangel. The format is challenging by nature: each researcher has exactly three minutes to present their project in a clear, engaging and accessible way to a diverse audience.
It is an exercise in scientific communication that is as necessary as it is demanding. The projects presented covered a broad spectrum of CBQF’s thematic research areas, demonstrating that the research conducted in Porto has direct relevance to issues ranging from food safety and public health to environmental sustainability and industrial innovation.
A piece of history
The event also provided an opportunity to recall, and showcase, a piece of the history of the School of Biotechnology and CBQF.
The Low Vacuum Scanning Electron Microscope, acquired by the institution in 1999, is equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis system, allowing the observation and morphological characterization of samples. It is particularly suited for the analysis of non-conductive materials without the need for prior metallic coating.
After more than two decades supporting research and researchers, and with a long-standing tradition within the school, the microscope is now on permanent display at ESB, where it can be viewed by the entire community.
From the laboratory to the market
The roundtable discussion "CBQF Biotechnology: From Internal Excellence to Value Creation", moderated by researchers Catarina Amorim and João Bebiano Costa, brought together four speakers with very different perspectives on the same challenge: how scientific excellence can be transformed into real value.
Ana Machado (ICBAS-UP), Nadine Reis (Lipor), Vasco Esteves (Tecmafoods) and Raquel Madureira (CBQF/ESB/UCP) discussed knowledge transfer and how companies and research centres need to learn to speak the same language, not only at conferences, but throughout the day-to-day development of collaborative projects.
The implicit conclusion shared by all participants was clear: innovation that remains in a drawer serves no one.
Role-playing
The afternoon also made room for something less conventional: a role-playing exercise designed to place researchers and other participants in situations that tested their negotiation, communication and problem-solving skills outside the usual laboratory environment.
This edition of CBQF Day served as a meeting point between worlds that need to work together: cutting-edge research, industry, the environmental sector and academia.
And the chosen theme (Biotechnology for a Changing World) was no coincidence. We live in a time when biotechnological solutions are increasingly needed, and CBQF positions itself as one of the Portuguese research centres with a genuine capacity to develop them.
The challenge is ensuring that this capacity translates into impact—not only in publications and funded projects, but also in solutions that reach the market, inform public policy and, ultimately, benefit people.
As Paula Castro, Director of the School of Biotechnology, stated during the closing session, “the creation of knowledge is our mission as a university,” while also emphasizing that “our connection with society and what we contribute to it are fundamental to achieving meaningful and effective work.”