Research Units

Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability

CISAS is a multidisciplinary research and development (R&D) unit based at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo and funded and classified as Good by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).

CISAS’ activities are focused on agrifood systems in the Mediterranean and sustainability issues. Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines research, development, and innovation (RDI) in an applied science strategy, CISAS is strongly involved in promoting a balanced approach between food science, the landscape, agriculture, and sustainability studies.

The center’s organization runs along two main axes, agrifood systems and resource management and sustainability. Specifically, through strong community involvement, the center’s main objectives include the following:

• Protect and promote the certification of origin for food products by developing methodologies to ensure authenticity
• Develop products and processes that promote health, well-being, and safety
• Contribute to the sustainable development of the industrial context by adopting innovative practices to create new products and processes and contribute to the appreciation of industrial by-products as potentially functional ingredients
• Value endogenous resources and traditional food products in an effort to preserve native species and protect biodiversity
• Improve sustainable agricultural productivity through technology in precision and organic agricultural practices
• Promote innovation in agricultural systems within a context of adaptation to climate change, particularly water-use efficiency, soil and plant protection, and agrobiodiversity.

Research Unit for Materials, Energy, and Environment for Sustainability

ProMetheus, the Research & Development Unit for Materials, Energy, and Environment for Sustainability, is a multidisciplinary research and development (R&D) unit based at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo and funded and classified as Good by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).

ProMetheus aims to generate knowledge and to design and implement new solutions along the following lines of scientific research:

• Development of new materials for application in sustainable technologies for energy production and storage, with a special emphasis on ceramic materials for application in fuel cells known for their high electrical and thermal efficiency
• Development of technologies for recycling and reuse of materials and/or industrial waste
• Development and application of ecological construction materials that promote energy-efficient systems
• Sustainable design, construction, and restoration of buildings and infrastructures
• Innovation in (eco)technologies for water and soil treatment and for the recovery and appreciation of materials and to derive (bio)energy from biomass and waste
• Analysis of socio-environmental systems for natural resource management and assessment of ecosystem services for the implementation, accreditation, and governance of environmental management systems through the use of sensors, spatial information systems, digital networks and research e-infrastructures.

ADiT-Lab (Applied Digital Transformation Laboratory) is a research and development (R&D) unit based at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo.

ADiT-Lab’s mission is to contribute to the advancement of regional and international knowledge relative to the digital transformation in order to promote sustainability through 3 fundamental pillars: cultural, social, and organizational.

Its main objectives include the following:

1. Conduct and promote applied research in the design, development, and evaluation of digital services
2. Serve as a platform for businesses, administrations, the academic community, and society in general to exchange knowledge on digital transformation
3. Help organizations develop their capabilities through training and consulting services

(Português)

Unidade de Investigação SPRINT-IPVC

UNIAG — Unidade de Investigação Aplicada em Gestão (Management Applied Research Unit)
CIMO — Centro de Investigação de Montanha (Mountain Research Center)
UICISA:E — Unidade de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde: Enfermagem (Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing)
CIDESD — Centro de Investigação em Desporto, Saúde, e Desenvolvimento Humano (Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development)
CITUR — Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation (Center for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation)
CIAUD — Centro de Investigação em Arquitetura, Urbanismo e Design da Faculdade de Arquitetura da Universidade de Lisboa (Research Center for Architecture, Urbanism, and Design of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon)