Research & Innovation at the Polytechnic University of Leiria Earns Top Recognition from FCT
The Polytechnic University of Leiria now counts eight R&D units rated ‘Excellent’ and five rated ‘Very Good’
Of the 15 Research & Development (R&D) Units at IPLeiria, eight have been rated ‘Excellent’ and five ‘Very Good’, with the remaining two receiving a ‘Good’ classification. These results were announced on April 15, 2025, by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), following a national evaluation of R&D performance.
“These results highlight the quality of our research units and represent a recognition of the excellence, dedication, and commitment of our research teams,” said the President of the Polytechnic University of Leiria. “Our institutional goal has been to ensure that R&D+i activities generate positive impact — both locally and nationally — and demonstrate global relevance.”
This new evaluation effectively doubles the number of IPLeiria’s research units awarded ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’, reinforcing the institution’s role in knowledge creation and sharing. It also opens new opportunities for developing doctoral programmes and launching innovative research projects.
IPLeiria’s 15 R&D Units include five fully managed by the Polytechnic, seven where it leads local branches (hubs), and three where it is represented through delegations. These span diverse fields such as Social Sciences and Humanities, Engineering and Exact Sciences, Natural and Environmental Sciences, and Life and Health Sciences.
Among the five fully managed units, three were rated ‘Excellent’: CDRSP – Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development; ciTechCare – Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology ; LiDA – The Laboratory in Design and Arts. The remaining two — CIIC – Computer Science and Communication Research Centre and CARME – Centre of Applied Research in Management and Economics — received ‘Very Good’ ratings.
Among the units with IPLeiria delegations, two were rated ‘Excellent’ and one ‘Very Good’. Of the seven branch-led units, three received ‘Excellent’, two ‘Very Good’, and two ‘Good’.
Altogether, these research units have been awarded approximately 40 million euros in funding for the period from 2025 to 2029.
Research, development, and innovation (R&D+i) are central to the mission of the Polytechnic University of Leiria. The institution continues to strengthen its commitment to producing and disseminating knowledge, while proposing innovative and sustainable solutions to tackle complex challenges in today’s competitive global landscape.
The FCT’s evaluation covered scientific and technological activities carried out between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2023, as well as the strategic goals, organizational structure, and activity plans for 2025–2029. More than 315 international evaluators from 35 countries participated in this process, working across 29 disciplinary panels. The evaluation included over 1,300 remote interviews and 29 weeks of on-site visits. The process was fully coordinated by the FCT’s Institutional Support Department.
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