INESC TEC signs programme-contract with EDP

The partnership between industry and the R&D institute is pioneer in Portugal and INESC TEC’s multidisciplinary features are key for this relationship. Moreover, it is an example of private investment in R&D. “This partnership between industry and research is the result of a relationship that we have been building with the EDP over the last 15 years in the Power Systems area,” explains the director INESC TEC, João Peças Lopes. “Besides being a proof of trust, this agreement is an acknowledgement of INESC TEC as an institute of reference, both nationally and internationally,” adds João Peças Lopes.

Electric Power will be the key area in this partnership, with an emphasis on renewable energies, smart grids, electric vehicles and electricity markets. However, the company hopes to explore solutions that incorporate contributions from different areas of expertise at INESC TEC, such as software, geographic information systems, sensors and robotics.

In the current economic scene, EDP’s belief in INESC TEC is an example of the confidence that the Portuguese industry has on the research conducted by institutions from the National Science and Technology System. “Associating with a group such as the EDP is a ‘go-ahead’ for INESC TEC to consolidate its internationalisation efforts in innovative and large projects,” concludes João Peças Lopes.

The EDP Box, a smart energy meter implemented as part of the pilot INOVCity (in the city of Évora) that will be in the homes of Portuguese electricity consumers in the next five years, is an example of collaboration between both institutions. INESC TEC was the organisation responsible for defining the reference models and the specifications in the Consortium, led by the EDP, which included various Portuguese companies.

The INESC TEC researchers mentioned in this article are associated with the following partner institutions: FEUP.