BIKiNNOV brings soft mobility innovation to Portuguese universities

BIKiNNOV is promoting the “From Research to Market” Roadshow, a series of events at Portuguese universities aimed at bringing scientific knowledge closer to the needs of the soft mobility industry. The initiative seeks to create new opportunities for collaboration between companies, researchers and public entities, fostering the development of innovative solutions, technology transfer and value creation for the sector.

At a time when innovation, sustainability and competitiveness require closer coordination between the scientific and technological system and the business community, the roadshow series serves as a platform for direct contact between those who develop knowledge and those seeking to transform it into products, processes and market-ready solutions. In particular, the initiative aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in identifying scientific expertise, technological infrastructure and partners that can help address their innovation challenges.

“Innovation in soft mobility requires an increasingly close connection between research and the real needs of companies. With this roadshow series, we want to create concrete opportunities for collaboration, bringing SMEs closer to the scientific and technological expertise of universities and helping to transform knowledge into solutions that create value for the market,” says David Macário, Executive Director of BIKiNNOV.

The first phase of the series begins on 20 October 2026 at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), followed by the University of Beira Interior (UBI) on 13 November and the University of Coimbra (UC) on 20 November. Each stop will focus on a specific topic and will be structured around two complementary sessions: a morning working session, open upon registration, featuring a co-creation workshop and a debate; and an afternoon reserved for BIKiNNOV researchers, including visits to research units and technical meetings.

This approach is intended to go beyond knowledge sharing by encouraging the identification of common challenges, complementary expertise and opportunities for joint development. Expected outcomes include the creation of new links between companies and research institutions, the preparation of applications for national and European funding programmes, namely Horizon Europe and Interreg, and closer access for companies to technological infrastructure and prototyping capabilities.

The series concludes with BIKiNNOV opening its doors to the entire network of researchers. This moment will also mark a new stage in strengthening the connection between the centre, universities and the business community, consolidating a cooperation network focused on innovation and the development of soft mobility.

The initiative is carried out under Action Line 5 – Promotion and Networks, as part of the Interface Mission – Base Funding for Technology and Innovation Centres, funded by the PRR – Recovery and Resilience Plan and the European NextGenerationEU Funds.

For more information, visit: https://recuperarportugal.gov.pt