FCUL Policy of Economic Valorisation of knowledge (2017)
Economic valorisation of knowledge
The connection of the Faculty of Sciences to Innovation and Entrepreneurship policies have been scored through initiatives that aim to:
- Facilitate the creation of company spin-offs by academic staff, researchers and alumni;
- Stimulate all research forms under contract with companies and other 'system innovation' entities;
- Institutionally intervene, namely through the FCUL Foundation, in such initiatives;
- Make students aware of behaviours that value entrepreneurship and knowledge based creation;
- Develop soft skills among students and academic staff.
The fundamental instruments of this process are::
- Creation and liaison with the Tec Labs at the campus of the Faculty of Sciences;
- Strengthening FCUL institutional position in LISPOLIS;
- FCUL Foundation's own activity within services that benefit from FCUL knowledge base;
- Through Tec Labs, incubator of technologically based companies, institutional involvement in AUDAX - ISCTE Entrepreneurship Centre;
- Strengthening of the rational established by FCUL, FFCUL, ICAT, LISPOLIS and AUDAX, as well as the relationship with related activities in the city of Lisbon;
- Protocol with Share regarding soft skills;
- Introduction of new courses in entrepreneurship, innovation and technology management in the advanced education area of PhD programmes;
- Academic collaboration with ISCTE-IUL regarding courses related to management or entrepreneurship.
The main facts concerning the interaction between FCUL and Tec Labs, LISPOLIS or FFCUL are entered in FCUL activity annual reports.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship took on a prominent role in the 19th Constitutional Government with the approval of the Strategic Programme for Entrepreneurship and Innovation [+E+I] (RCM No. 54/2011 of 16 December), an open programme to be implemented by society and that is based on four pillars:
- Broadening of the population competences, including the young and socially unprotected population, as well as the competences of companies and Public Administration;
- Boosting innovation, namely at the product, processes and technology levels, in order to promote competitiveness of Portuguese companies;
- Encouraging entrepreneurship, by promoting an environment conducive to the development of entrepreneurial projects and their success;
- Promoting these objectives through appropriate funding instruments, with fair distribution of available funds by initiatives of excellence.
In this context, the CNational Entrepreneurship and Innovation Council (CNEI) was formed under the umbrella of the economy and chaired by the Prime Minister, and it must work in coordination with the National Science and Technology Council.