HISTORY

The MIT Portugal Program (MPP) is a strategic international partnership between Portuguese universities and research institutions, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Portuguese government, as well as partners from industry and other non-academic institutions.

First established in Portugal in October 2006 and renewed in 2013, MPP has been developing a research platform for cutting-edge concepts in emerging areas of science and technology that have included: Bioengineering, Sustainable Energy, Transportation Systems, Engineering Design, and Advanced Manufacturing. Phases I and II placed a strong emphasis on the aforementioned areas, offering PhD, Masters and Executive Masters programs to students from Portugal and around the globe.

The MIT Portugal post-graduate network brought together a dynamic consortium of universities across Portugal, with the best of MIT educational and research expertise, to create high quality teaching and research. The program provided students opportunities to study at – or collaborate with students and faculty at – five Portuguese universities and engineering schools, and to receive national degrees. Many doctoral students also had an opportunity to conduct research at MIT.

The first two phases of the program demonstrated a high-profile effort to prove that an investment in science, technology, and higher education can have a positive, lasting impact on the economy. Phases I and II addressed key societal issues through quality education and research in the emerging field of engineering systems while educating future leaders in science, technology, entrepreneurship, and the innovation of technological systems.

To envision the future of the MIT Portugal Program, it’s necessary to understand its evolution and rich history. Click here to access program reports and learn more about the impact of Phases I and II.

A NOVEL PHASE- MPP2030

The third phase of the program—MIT Portugal Partnership 2030 (MPP2030)—was launched in June of 2018 and funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT). MPP2030 will continue to uphold MIT’s strong commitment to collaborate with Portuguese institutions with the goal of strengthening Portugal’s knowledge base and international competitiveness through strategic investments in research, people, and ideas. The program aims to create a vibrant, interactive, and sustainable collaborative platform that addresses the complex challenges of global and societal impact. It will continue to collaborate with Industrial Affiliates to strengthen the connection between research and real-life implementation.

Within the scope of the new partnership, MPP2030 focuses on developing research in four strategic areas: Climate Science & Climate Change, Earth Systems: Oceans to Near Space, Digital Transformation in Manufacturing, and Sustainable Cities—all of which include data science intensive approaches and methodologies.

PROGRAM MISSION

The Mission of MPP2030 is to foster collaborative research between MIT and Portuguese universities, research institutes, laboratories, and companies, targeting innovative, high-impact ideas and research projects with the full potential to address complex challenges of global and societal impact.

History of the MIT Portugal Program

2006

October

The MIT Portugal Program is launched

Created as a strategic investment in people, knowledge, and ideas to strengthen the country’s knowledge base and international competitiveness. This transatlantic collaboration involves the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), together with academia, laboratories and industry in Portugal, in the development of first-of-their-kind education and research programs in engineering systems.

2013

July

Phase II launches

Portuguese government and the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) renewed their commitment to the MIT partnerships, leading to the signing of a contract for a second phase that will carry the relationship through 2017. The renewal builds on six years of successful collaboration between faculty and students at MIT and in Portugal and underscores the central role of the program in the country’s scientific, technological and socio-economic development. It further spotlights the impact that MIT researchers have had on government, academia and industry.

2018

June

MIT Portugal Partnership 2030 (MPP2030)

MPP2030 is created to further strengthen MIT’s commitment to collaborate with Portuguese institutions with the goal of strengthening Portugal’s knowledge base and international competitiveness through strategic investments in research, people, and ideas. Within the scope of the new partnership, MPP2030 focuses on developing research in four strategic areas: Climate Science & Climate Change, Earth Systems: Oceans to Near Space, Digital Transformation in Manufacturing, and Sustainable Cities—all of which include data science intensive approaches and methodologies.