Portuguese spotlights on CORDIS
The first spotlights on Portuguese research activities are now available on the CORDIS Council Presidency Service. The spotlights provide an insight into particular research activities in Portugal, and are chosen to showcase popular and successful research areas. They include links to useful contact persons and the main laboratories involved. The first Portuguese spotlight focuses on Marine Sciences. The second highlights information technologies and telecommunications and will shortly be followed by spotlights on biotechnology. Ana Paula Gravito of the Observatório das Ciências e das Techologias in Lisbon, said the Marine Sciences were chosen for the first spotlight because this area was recently defined as a priority for Portuguese Science Technology and Innovation. 'This area has recently witnessed a considerable growth and internationalisation', she said. 'Research projects, approved on a competitive basis, have been funded through specific programmes both at European (MAST) and national level (Dinamisation Programme for the Marine Sciences)'. Information Technologies and Telecommunications is one of the largest and most active areas of research in Portugal. Its importance was strongly enhanced by international cooperation within various European Union programmes, such as ESPRIT, RACE, ACTS and Telematics. Ms Gravito went on to say that the Ministry for Science and Technology hoped the spotlights would help to 'promote international cooperation, enhancing the networking of the scientific community and facilitating communication between researchers, institutions and society at large'.