Unlocking the scientific excellence and innovation capacity of the University of Aveiro in supramolecular multicomponent biomaterials for enabling advanced biomaterials for healthcare

Project Information

SUPRALIFE

Grant agreement ID: 101079482

DOI

10.3030/101079482

Project closed

EC signature date 4 August 2022

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 31 December 2025

Funded under

• Widening participation and spreading excellence

Total cost

€ 1 499 887,50

EU contribution

€ 1 499 887,50

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SUPRALIFE (Unlocking the scientific excellence and innovation capacity of the University of Aveiro in supramolecular multicomponent biomaterials for enabling advanced biomaterials for healthcare)

Reporting period: 2024-04-01 to 2025-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The SUPRALIFE project aims to create an international scientific and training network to accelerate the pace on non-covalent strategies to develop advanced supramolecular multifunctional biopolymeric materials, exhibiting dynamic and adaptive behavior, bioactive properties and multifunctionalities, for healthcare by functionalizing biopolymers with self-assembling motifs.

The SUPRALIFE consortium, composed by the University of Aveiro (UAVR), as the coordinator institution, the Technical University of Eidhoven (TU/e), the University of Bordeaux (UBx), and its affiliated entities Polytechnical Institute of Bordeaux (IPB) and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), aims to boost the scientific excellence in the field of supramolecular biomaterials for healthcare by pursuing the following specific objectives:

• Enhance the scientific and technological excellence, innovation capacity and research profile of UAVR and its scientific community in supramolecular biomaterials’ chemistry in an international competitive level.
• Strengthen the research management and administration skills of UAVR’s staff.
• Significantly increase the international visibility of UAVR and of its researchers/staff and unleash its networking gaps with internationally leading R&D organizations and the private sector.
• Create a strong, long-lasting and sustainable collaborative network between UAVR-TU/e-UBx-IPB-CNRS and with other outstanding organizations, industries and hospitals on supramolecular biomaterials.
• Increase the number of peer-reviewed publications in top-quality international journals and highly cited ones.
• Create new supramolecular biomaterials and biomedical products/devices generating IP with a social and economic impact, contributing to the sustainability of UAVR.
• Devise new research lines in the field that can contribute to create new jobs, attract and retain talent and, consequently, to develop the Center Region and Portugal as a whole in the long-term.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

SUPRALIFE organized 13 training events to step-up and stimulate the scientific excellence and innovation capacity of UAVR researchers in the field of functional supramolecular multicomponent biomaterials for healthcare, and boost the international visibility, recognition and potential of the institution and its scientific community:
- Three summer schools at UAVR (Figure 1, 2, and 11);
- Three hands-on workshops at TU/e (Figure 3), UBx (Figure 12) and UAVR (Figure 13);
- Two scientific retreats in Portugal (Figure 4 and 9);
- Four symposia in international conferences (Figure 5, 6, 7, 8).
- One international conference at UAVR (Figure 10).

In addition, the consortium pursued the exploratory scientific research project which enabled the development of a library of bioinstructive supramolecular multicomponent biomaterials to be used as platforms for cell culture and drug/therapeutics/cell delivery. The project contributed to 30 peer-reviewed publications, 1 provisional EPO patent, and participation in major injternational conferences in the field.
Furthermore, the consortium organized a series of activities with the aim of increasing the competitive and outperforming level of the scientific community at national, European and international levels. Those activities included:
- Two surveys and two focus group sessions to identify the needs of UAVR researchers and raise awareness to the role and relevance of research management and administration staff;
- Ten debriefing sessions and two short-term visitS to TU/e and UBx to strengthen the research management and administration skills of UAVR’s research support office (GAI) and other support staff to better support UAVR’s researchers;
- Nine on-site/online training workshops to enhance the capacity of UAVR’s researchers and staff in preparing competitive proposals and efficiently manage european funded projects.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The results of the SUPRALIFE project contributed to:
(i) Strengthen the scientific and technological excellence and innovation capacity, and raise the reputation and research profile of UAVR and its students, researchers and staff, and other Portuguese institutions attending the events organized by SUPRALIFE consortium in supramolecular biomaterials’ chemistry field, positoning UAVR towards becoming an internationally leading research organisation in supramolecular biomaterials for healthcare.
(ii) Improve the excellence capacity and resources in Portugal (Widening country) enabling to close the research and innovation gap within Europe.
(iii) Enhance the strategic networking activities, reputation, attractiveness, international visibility of UAVR seeding up the expertise and international reputation of the high-performing consortium partners TU/e, UBx and its AE IPB and CNRS.
(iv) Enhance the research management capacity and administrative skills of UAVR’s GAI, CICECO and other research units by leveraging the experience, international reputation and best practices of the internationally leading partners.
(v) Stimulate the creativity and promote the mobility of students, post-doc researchers and staff among the consortium the consortium partners.
(vi) Create a new research line at UAVR for retaining highly skilled researchers trained under the scope of SUPRALIFE and attract new ones.
(vii) Significantly increase the number of peer-reviewed publications in top-quality journals, create new and advanced supramolecular biomaterials and biomedical devices, and generate IPR.

In the medium and long-term, the results of the SUPRALIFE project are expected to:
(i) Enable structural changes for raising a more competitive R&I system at UAVR and throughout Portuguese universities.
(ii) Create new jobs at UAVR, Centre region and Portugal as a whole.
(iiI) Enlarge the list of contacts with industrial stakeholdrs and explore the potential commercial feasibility of the developed biomaterials, market project, and translation to the clinics.

figure8-international-symposium-termis-eu-2025.png

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figure1-1st-supralife-summer-school.jpg

figure6-international-symposium-esb-2023.jpg

figure5-international-symposium-iupac-chains.jpg

figure11-3rd-supralife-summer-school.png

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• figure4-1st-scientific-retreat.jpg