Isabel Ferreira, Secretary of State for Regional Development, visited the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF), the only associated laboratory integrated into a private university in Portugal, which has more than 250 researchers. The visit, which took place on December 6, also provided an opportunity to learn about the commitment, mission and work carried out by UCP in Porto in the field of Research and Innovation.
"Research and innovation are a commitment of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, as a whole and of the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry in particular", said Manuela Pintado, director of CBQF. "CBQF is internationally recognized in the areas of food, biotechnology, health and the environment and we are committed to meet the various challenges that arise, in the certainty that universities and their research are fundamental to the sustainable development of communities," she added.
During the visit, Isabel Ferreira congratulated the Research Centre's management and the researchers for their work over the years, for the high quality of the research and the partnerships that have been made, and above all how their research has impacted the region and Portugal.
The Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry is organized into four research groups, in 13 thematic laboratories, and recently started a research partnership with Biorbis, which aims to develop the next generation of safe, sustainable, and high-value biomolecules, with an initial private investment of 3 million, with a potential of 23 million over the next 5 years.
The visit, which took place on December 6, also included a presentation of the results of the HSOIL4FOOD project, which aimed to promote the sustainability and resilience of agricultural production systems through the combined use of biotechnological tools, and to promote the cultivation of legumes to improve soil health, while also studying their impact on the resulting food and how they influence the nutritional status and diet of populations. This is a multidisciplinary project that involved several research centers at Católica in Porto in an integrated approach, involving basic and natural sciences (CBQF), but also interface areas such as Law (CEID), Economics and Management (CEGE), Health (CIIS) and Social Sciences (CEDH).
The visit by the Secretary of State for Regional Development to the Porto campus of Universidade Católica, which was also attended by Isabel Braga da Cruz, pro-rector of Universidade Católica no Porto, Paula Castro, dean of Faculty of Biotechnology, and João Cortez, director of the Research and Innovation Office of UCP, also made it possible to discuss other relevant issues for boosting Research and Innovation in the region.
