Editorial

More than a yearly meeting, that is what we can say about the 2025 INESC Brussels HUB Winter Meeting. Experts, policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders came together in Porto to discuss one of Europe’s most critical assets: Research and Technology Infrastructures (RTIs).

This year’s meeting held special significance. It marked 40 years of INESC TEC ’s contribution to research and innovation and five years of strategic presence in Brussels, an essential bridge between our institutional ambitions and Europe’s R&I priorities.

Beyond policy, the meeting encouraged practical exchanges on governance, funding, and industry collaboration. A needs assessment workshop provided direct input to EU policy consultations, reinforcing our role as both a strategic and operational player in the R&I domain.

Read the full editorial here

Tune in to the podcast here

EU life sciences strategy – Call for Evidence

The EU has long been a leader in life sciences, contributing to innovation and economic growth. However, Europe has been losing ground to its main global competitors. To regain its position, the European Commission is developing a new multi-disciplinary Strategy for European Life Sciences, aiming to:

• Strengthen competitiveness and prosperity
• Accelerate the green and digital transitions
• Create new jobs
• Reduce external dependencies

This strategy will focus on turning research into practical solutions while addressing key challenges like funding gaps, regulatory complexity, and evolving skills needs. The Call for Evidence is now open, and the Commission invites feedback from researchers, industry experts, policymakers, and the public. Your insights will help shape this initiative.

Feedback Period: 20 March – 17 April 2025

Join the conversation here

EU Commission survey on uptake of Knowledge Valorisation Codes of Practice

Europe’s global competitiveness depends on its ability to turn research into real-world benefits. To strengthen this effort, the European Commission has developed four Codes of Practice to help research and innovation actors make better use of knowledge in:

• Managing intellectual assets
• Standardisation
• Citizen engagement
• Industry-academia collaboration

The question now is: Are these guidelines making an impact?

If you are a researcher, scientist, entrepreneur, investor, policymaker, or innovation manager your insights are crucial. The Commission is gathering feedback to assess how these Codes are being used and how they can be improved to better support knowledge valorisation across Europe.

Your input will help shape future policy initiatives, training programs, capacity-building efforts, and best practice sharing, ensuring research creates both economic and social value.

Survey open now! Take a few minutes to contribute and help refine Europe’s approach to knowledge valorisation.

Take the survey here

The Insider Unfiltered: Inside the AI Industry

A biased account of global industry AI News

by Ana Costa e Silva, PhD in AI, MBA , INESC TEC

Welcome to your biased AI news review. This is your 2025 Q1 overview.

As part of an European innovation institute, it is easy to look at AI from an academic perspective, how can we make a better transformer or what is the next thing in the specific area each of us has always worked in.

But the world is moving so fast, it really takes a village just to stay afloat.

This column aims at facilitating a slightly different point of view. And it is biased because it is based on the AI news LinkedIn or my phone provides in my feed. The dates are when the article reached my feed, not when it was published, but it should correlate. So why would you care?!

Well, I first joined LinkedIn around 2011, worked globally in the industry for 25+ years (US, UK, PT, Asia, LATAM, Africa), and harnessed a network of 5000+ data and AI professionals, who, well, discuss stuff, cool stuff. This is it distillation of that.

So yes, do not expect an exhaustive literary review of each topic, you’ll have to do that without me. Do not expect all the nitty gritty new operators of OpenAI either or a systematic comparison of GenAI.Works models that you can better from Stanford Uni [1]. The goal is to highlight the topics discussed by AI industry professionals through LinkedIn.

So what are people talking about?

Trend 1. Agentic AI!

Everyone’s talking about Agentic AI [e.g., 2]. And I’m a fan. Agentic AI recycles research completed when I did my PhD, OMG, it finally takes off after people discovered LLMs work best when breaking down complex task into small parts and combining them. When we combine independent pieces, we get a lot of expressiveness, if we can keep control of the jungle. If we are clever enough at it, we can even have individual pieces interact autonomously, using some vocabulary that enables them to adapt to each other and the outside world.

Industry is very attentive. Even marketers are attentive. Imagine an enterprise that publishes an LLM to facilitate the distinct information needs of their CEO, marketeers, customer support agents, all feeding from shared knowledge bases, but each learning the individual preferences and the team needs of each user.

Trend 1a. Within the Agentic world, there have been 7 different Agentic AI solutions for research assistants this quarter alone. What?! None replace creativity but each breaks down the laborious research tasks of literary review and creating code to test an hypothesis against a dataset. We cannot not keep track of this. Will it aid us or kill us? [3, 4, a Facebook add from Brazil 5, 6, Google’s 7, 8, 9]

Trend 2. Most major companies are doing something about aiming towards GI and it’s not always Reinforcement Learning (RL). 

• NVIDIA: teaching AI systems and robots how to interact with the physical world. Cosmos is trained on 20 million hours of real-world footage, for example: humans walking, humans manipulating objects, moving their hands. Then, AI systems will be taught how to understand and operate within physical environments.
• IBM and MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab introduce SOLOMON, Enhancing Reasoning to Adapt Large Language Models for Domain-Specific Applications. 
• Meta Researchers at Meta have unveiled COCONUT (Chain of Continuous Thought), a novel approach that transitions AI reasoning from traditional language-based methods to a continuous latent space. This shift allows Large Language Models (LLMs) to process reasoning steps as continuous states, enhancing problem-solving efficiency and accuracy. By operating in this latent mode, models can explore multiple reasoning paths, backtrack when necessary, and reduce computational overhead, marking a significant advancement in AI’s cognitive capabilities.
• LCMs: Meta’s launches a Large Concept Models. Current LLMs operate at the token level, processing and generating text word by word. But what if we could train them to work with higher-level semantic representations?
• DeepSeek-R1 Chinese AI technical report is “a technical masterpiece, a series of models designed to push the boundaries of reasoning through innovative reinforcement learning techniques”.

Trend 3. China’s AI is leaving everyone in deep awe

We all heard about DeepSeek . I love the way this commenter breaks it down into simple itemised 3-4 why this is so awesome, like nitty gritty, not just that it’s cheaper and was built with a ridiculously small number of GPUs, but the cleaver tricks to do so without loss of quality. We gotta give it to them. Someone’s POV of why DeepSeek is so cool, and yet all the while someone else raises security concerns.

China also launched an LLM for time series from China, I’m very curious to try it out, if I can keep my context secret.

But MY FAVOURITE: China launches Manus Agentic AI system, all with a fun video and 5 use cases: Searches property sites; Develops a report; Can output that as a spreadsheet; Looks up New York neighborhoods. Then an IBM agent leader says it’s “VERY impressive” and adds another 12 use cases to the mix.

Trend 4. Responsible AI

Responsible AI is so verbose, lots of people are trying to simplify it, [e.g. 22, 23, 24, 25], maps of this and sheets of that, I don’t think this was the intention, can’t we align on a few simple principles and ensure those, then make sure they are met with the smallest possible cost, like use a model registry, keep track of bias metrics, get a process to ensure they are met.

And while some get annoyed at its potential complexities [26], others think It is urgent to revise AI Governance in the Agentic AI era [27]. Indeed. While Responsible AI centres around the risks of machine learning, the ones all data scientists learnt at school and can sometimes use legislative support to implement corporately at scale, we are unprotected against a bunch of agents biasing our world view or making some mistake that gets lost in the spaghetti.

Trend 5. The data and BI revolution

All reputable data and BI tools are embedding LLMs into their systems [Google 28, Microsoft 29, Databricks 30, Spotfire 31]. It will be increasingly easy for any professional to ask the LLM a question, that is today buried behind complex queries and incomplete data catalogues, and get a correct answer. If we do this right, this means not just more productivity, but actually better business decisions for all. Being properly data-driven will be easier than ever. Finally!! Maybe now businesses can start caring about Data Governance.

New Update: Annotated Grant Agreement (AGA) Version 2.0 Now Available

The European Commission has released an updated version (v2.0) of the Annotated Grant Agreement (AGA) on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. This essential reference document provides detailed explanations of the provisions within EU Grant Agreements, supporting beneficiaries across programmes such as Horizon Europe and beyond.

The latest version introduces clarifications without altering existing rules on several key aspects relevant to Horizon Europe. Notable updates include:

• Guidance on how to calculate eligible personnel costs for work carried out during the final reporting phase, even if performed after the project’s end.

• Reinforced rules for applying the “horizontal ceiling” under the Personnel Unit Costs scheme and for SME owners, regardless of the number of projects a person is involved in.
• A new calculation option for day-equivalents in cases where working hours vary seasonally.

➤ All changes from the previous version are clearly marked with a green square for easy identification.

For more details, you can access the updated AGA here

Commission to invest €1.3 billion in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital skills

The European Commission is dedicating €1.3 billion to advancing strategic technologies crucial for Europe’s future. Through the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) 2025-2027, this investment will strengthen AI adoption, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and digital skills across the continent.

Key Priorities:

Expanding AI Applications – Supporting AI adoption in business, public services, and healthcare. Funds will drive the development of virtual worlds, AI regulation (AI Act), and energy-efficient data spaces. Boosting European Digital Innovation Hubs Network (EDIHs) – Helping companies and public institutions access expertise, test new technologies, and integrate AI into their operations. Enhancing Cyber Resilience – Strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure, including the EU Cybersecurity Reserve, to protect critical sectors like healthcare and communication networks. Advancing Destination Earth – Expanding the EU’s digital Earth model to improve climate adaptation and disaster management.  

Developing Digital Skills – Providing training and resources to help institutions nurture digital talent and enhance workforce skills. Accelerating the EU Digital Identity Wallet – Supporting the adoption of secure and interoperable digital identity solutions across Member States.

Modernizing Public Services – Promoting efficient, high-quality digital services for citizens and businesses.

The DIGITAL calls will open in April 2025, with additional opportunities announced throughout the year.

Interested businesses, public administrations, and research organizations from EU Member States, EFTA/EEA countries, and DIGITAL-associated nations can apply via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

The Digital Europe Programme is the EU’s first initiative fully focused on deploying digital technology. With an €8.1 billion budget (2021-2027), it complements other funding streams such as Horizon Europe, EU4Health, and InvestEU.

Henna Virkkunen , Executive VP for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy: “Securing European tech sovereignty begins with investing in advanced technologies and equipping people with digital skills. The Digital Europe Programme ensures that these innovations reach citizens, businesses, and public administrations.”

For more details, visit here

EU’s cohesion policy: Council sets out clear guidelines for the future

The Council of the European Union has approved conclusions outlining its vision for the future of cohesion policy beyond 2027. These guidelines will shape upcoming discussions and influence the legislative framework for the next funding period.

Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Minister of Funding and Regional Policy of Poland, stated: “By linking cohesion policy and competitiveness, we aim to create an efficient, future-proof strategy that responds to Europe’s evolving priorities and regional needs.”

Key Highlights of the Council’s Conclusions:

Cohesion at the Core of the EU Project The Council reaffirmed that economic, social, and territorial cohesion remains central to the European agenda. Future policies should ensure regional development while maintaining coordination among national, regional, and local authorities.

Stronger Synergies Across EU Policies Emphasizing efficiency, the Council calls for better alignment between EU policies and funding instruments, ensuring they work complementarily rather than overlapping.

Balancing Competitiveness and Cohesion Referencing the Letta report, the Council highlighted the interconnection between EU competitiveness and regional cohesion, essential for the success of the Single Market.

Guiding Principles of Cohesion Policy The core principles shared management, multi-level governance, and partnerships will remain the foundation of cohesion policy. The focus will continue to be reducing regional disparities and supporting balanced economic growth across all regions.

Governance and Local Empowerment A multi-level governance model will be reinforced, ensuring effective decision-making at the most relevant territorial levels. The Council also stressed the need for dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders at every stage of policy design and implementation.

A More Result-Oriented Approach To enhance impact, the European Commission is urged to prioritize evidence-based policymaking, streamline monitoring and evaluation systems, and embed territorial impact assessments in future policies.

The conclusions provide a solid framework for upcoming discussions on the post-2027 EU cohesion strategy, ensuring that investments continue to support inclusive growth, regional development, and competitiveness.

For more details, visit

White paper: Cleantech for Defence, Security and Resilience

As cyberattacks, energy dependencies, and climate-driven instability reshape global security, clean technologies are becoming essential not just for sustainability but also for strategic autonomy, resilience, and defence. The war in Ukraine, attacks on critical infrastructure, and the increasing weaponization of energy highlight the urgency of integrating cleantech into Europe’s security framework.

Europe’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and critical materials exposes vulnerabilities that adversaries can exploit. Cleantech solutions such as decentralized energy systems, advanced batteries, and synthetic fuels offer greater self-sufficiency while securing both military and civilian infrastructure.

Key innovations for security and resilience: Resilient microgrids – Preventing energy blackouts from cyber and physical attacks Green ammonia – Dual-use technology for both fertilizers and energy storage AI-powered precision agriculture – Enhancing food security and reducing dependency on imports

Cleantech as a Force Multiplier for Defence

Modern warfare demands stealth, operational endurance, and secure supply lines. Cleantech innovations are already transforming military capabilities:

Hydrogen-powered drones – Extending flight times and reducing emissions

Hybrid military vehicles – Cutting fuel dependency while maintaining mobility

Self-sustaining forward bases – Using renewable energy and water purification tech for extended missions

Infrared-absorbing materials – Lowering detection risk and increasing survivability

Beyond sustainability, these technologies enhance operational effectiveness and reduce logistical vulnerabilities, making cleantech a strategic asset for defence.

Read the full white paper on Cleantech for Defence, Security, and Resilience here

Report: Mapping the impact of industrial decline on European regions

Industrial decline is reshaping parts of Europe, leading to job losses, economic slowdown, and widening regional disparities. Some areas, heavily reliant on traditional industries, face greater challenges in adapting to new economic realities.

To counteract this, strategic investments in green innovation, digital transformation, and policy support are crucial for rebuilding resilient regional economies. By encouraging collaboration between policymakers and industry leaders, Europe can drive sustainable growth and maintain its competitive edge.

Read more on this here

INESC TEC on the podium of national applicants for European patents yet again

INESC TEC continues to stand out in innovation, securing a place in the national top 10 for European patent applications once again. In 2024, the institute submitted six European patent applications, five of which as the first holder, while also securing three granted patents.

These inventions span precision agriculture, smart telecommunications, underwater vehicle components, and medical diagnostics, reinforcing INESC TEC ’s role in advancing cutting-edge technology. The Instrumentation sector led the institute’s patent filings, including microfluidic devices for disease detection, pollutant monitoring, and AI-driven agricultural assessments.

Daniel M. Vasconcelos , head of INESC TEC ’s Technology Licensing Office, emphasized that this achievement validates the institute’s commitment to internationalization and intellectual property valorization. INESC TEC has been consistently ranked among the country’s top applicants since 2017, solidifying its position as a key driver of European innovation.

Read more on BIP

There is a new INESC TEC spin-off and it will help patients with chronic kidney disease find compatible donors

A new INESC TEC spin-off is set to revolutionize kidney transplantation by expanding opportunities for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to find compatible living donors. Built on years of research in kidney exchange programmes (KEPs), this initiative addresses the severe donor shortage and improves long-term survival for transplant recipients.

The KEPsoft Collaborative CIC uses advanced algorithms to optimize kidney donor-patient matching, allowing incompatible donor-patient pairs to swap donors and create transplant cycles. Initially focusing on European transplantation networks, the project aims to expand globally, benefiting millions suffering from kidney disease.

“This is the epitome of science with impact,” says Ana Viana , INESC TEC researcher and co-founder. Developed in partnership with institutions from Hungary and Scotland, KEPsoft Collaborative CIC is set to improve access to life-saving transplants, ensuring more patients receive the treatment they desperately need.

More information on it

Empowering creativity with Artificial Intelligence

INESC TEC is a key partner in AI-SCRETT, a European initiative funded under the Digital Europe programme to develop AI-driven digital skills. With a budget of €7.2 million, the project will train professionals at the intersection of creativity and AI, supporting Europe’s digital, green, and social transitions.

INESC TEC will lead the development of AI-powered learning tools, including a smart digital platform that personalizes education and enhances training effectiveness. This initiative aligns with Europe’s Digital Decade, aiming to train 20 million ICT specialists by 2030, while ensuring ethical AI principles and cultural diversity in technology.

“AI-SCRETT is about empowering human creativity with AI, not replacing it,” says Ricardo Migueis , INESC TEC’s Brussels representative. With 23 partners across 11 European countries, the project is set to reshape AI education, digital inclusion, and industry innovation.

More info on it

INESC TEC at ERF 2025: Showcasing Robotics Innovation

INESC TEC had a noticeable presence at the 16th European Robotics Forum (ERF 2025) in Stuttgart! We showcased cutting-edge technologies like MomA, the mobile manipulator, and MARES AUV for environmental sampling. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect, collaborate, and push the boundaries of robotics innovation.

Watch the video here

Benefit of an EU strategic innovation agenda – Cost of non Europe

In a rapidly evolving global economy, the European Union must take bold and collective action to maintain economic growth while upholding environmental, social, and fundamental rights. With some of the world’s biggest businesses exceeding €3 trillion in market value, the EU needs a cohesive economic, financial, and fiscal policy framework to fuel innovation especially for SMEs.

The Letta and Draghi reports emphasize the importance of clear political priorities, sufficient budgetary resources, and reduced public spending inefficiencies at the Member State level. A unified pro-innovation perspective could unlock the full potential of the Single Market and empower EU businesses to compete in high-growth sectors like digital and clean energy production.

The economic impact? A coordinated EU strategy could boost GDP by an estimated 0.9% by 2035 and an even more ambitious approach could increase GDP by 2.6% in the same timeframe.

A fragmented approach is no longer an option. To compete globally, the EU must act together.

Read the full study here

President of INESC receives Honorary Doctorate from Macau University of Science and Technology

“Honor is earned. And sometimes, it is awarded.”

Great institutions recognize great minds.

This week, Macau University of Science and Technology conferred an honorary doctorate upon Arlindo Oliveira , a professor, innovator, and leader in the world of computer science and technology. AI. Digital transformation. The next frontier of human intelligence. These are the domains he explores, teaches, and influences.

A well-deserved honor for a man who continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Congratulate Arlindo Oliveira on his post

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