Launched in October 2021, at a public event, INSURE.hub is already fulfilling its great objective: to create a vibrant, national and international ecosystem of transdisciplinary knowledge with a circular, sustainable and regenerative scope. More than 30 entities have joined this initiative, which results from the mobilization of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in Porto, through its Faculties - Católica Porto Business School and Escola Superior de Biotecnologia - and Planetiers New Generation, together with national and international organizations that are thought leaders and agents of transformation for Sustainability and Regeneration.
João Pinto, from Católica Porto Business School, explains “INSURE.hub operates on four fundamental axes: support for companies and clusters in business development and new investments; promoting sustainable/regenerative entrepreneurship; mobilization of society; and academic training”. In this sense, “that we already have more than 30 organizations associated with INSURE.hub, is a great pride and demonstrates the importance of the existence of an initiative like this”, he concludes.
“We have been developing a set of actions with the entities that have joined INSURE.hub, but we are also preparing postgraduate training that will meet a pressing need of organizations in these areas of Sustainability and Regeneration,” says Manuela Pintado, Director of Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) of the Catholic University in Porto. Other activities of the INSURE.hub team have been the development of projects, the preparation and submission of applications for European funds in various sectors, including a co-creation partnership between two European hubs. In parallel, there has been a strengthening of international relations with knowledge leaders in the area of sustainability.
António Vasconcelos, from Planetiers New Generation, reiterates that “the commitment of Planetiers New Generation, created with the ambition to develop a transformation program for Portugal guided by Sustainability and Regeneration, is very active with INSURE.hub, and its very distinctive feature is the growing involvement of knowledge leaders and agents of transformation at an international level”, adding “we are constantly being challenged by organizations, but also by researchers from the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia and the Católica Porto Business School.”.
Until the end of March, several organizations have joined INSURE.hub: Águas de Monchique; APICCAPS; Aquitex; Porto Commercial Association – CCIP; Hazelnut; BLC3; Bondalti; Bosch; hair; Porto City Hall; Cereals; Clusaga; Leixões Port Community; Decorgel; ETSA, S.A.; fruit; GERMEN - Moagem de Cereais, S.A.; Greenvolt; Soy Group; Imperial; KPMG; Lipo; OMG; Mendes Gonçalves, S.A.; Mota Engil Capital; Mota Engil Renewing; New-Normal Consulting; nourish; Real Companhia Velha; Sarcol; SuperBock Group; Vieira de Castro; Vitacress.
Soon, within the scope of INSURE.hub, a new postgraduate course will be launched, short-term executive training will be created and entrepreneurship dynamics of highly innovative projects in the field of the circular economy will also continue to be promoted.
