A robot dog greeted visitors at the Técnico Innovation Summit, drawing a heart in the air with its front paws. It charmed everyone, and the research team behind the Sustainable Stoneby Portugal project looked on proudly at their “pet.”

The first edition of the Técnico Innovation Summit, held on November 4 and 5 at the Técnico Innovation Center during the PhD Open Days, showcased projects with significant economic impact, particularly those funded through Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

INESC-ID was well-represented with four of its five projects:

• Accelerat.ai: driving digital transformation in Portugal’s public and private sectors through technologies like conversational systems for the national health helpline SNS24;
• Centre for Responsible AI (CRAI): developing fair, explainable, and sustainable AI solutions;
• Blockchain.pt: establishing a national blockchain network to position Portugal as a global leader in blockchain innovation;
• Alliance for Energy Transition (ATE): fostering an ecosystem for energy transition and decarbonization.

Over the two-day event, numerous visitors passed through the venue, including students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and government representatives who also attended the nomination ceremony for the 21 new members of the National Council for Science, Technology, and Innovation (CNCTI).

“We were visited by Pedro Dominguinhos, President of the National Monitoring Committee for PRR, and Carla Branco Santos from the Executive Committee of IAPMEI,” shared Rubén Solera-Ureña, a researcher in Human Language Technologies involved in the Accelerat.ai project.

During their visit to the expo site, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and his team visited various booths, including that of CRAI. Here, researchers demonstrated AI products developed under the project, such as a home physical therapy platform, a communication solution for ALS patients, and a platform to help hospital doctors automate administrative tasks.

Images | © 2024 INESC-ID