Portugal is the Member State that most strengthened its Research and Innovation (R&I) system through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), having invested, between 2021 and 2023, more than 160% of the national allocation for Research and Development (R&D), highlights the Ministry of Economy and Territorial Cohesion in a statement.
To this end, it uses a recent study by the European Commission, which states that the PRR allocation for R&I represents 17% of the total national envelope, totaling around 3,709 million euros. “Portugal thus assigns an unusual priority to R&I within the scope of the PRR”, highlights the report.
This priority is already visible in practice, with 50 of the Mobilizing Agendas and Green Alliances contracted, involving 1,247 entities and a total investment of 7.8 billion euros, of which 2.8 billion are public funding, says the Government.
Furthermore, the National Innovation Agency, through Mission Interface, has promoted coordination between companies and universities for the development of R&D. Until now, “more than 8,800 companies were supported and 3,600 researchers integrated into Technology and Innovation Centers and Collaborative Laboratories”, highlights the supervision of Manuel Castro Almeida.
The study also reveals that the PRR was articulated with Portugal 2030 and Horizon Europe, providing funding of around 995.6 million euros until March 2025. This funding will support 1,712 scholarships and involve 2,802 organizations, allowing “to reinforce the critical mass and synergies between national policies and European priorities”.