innovation and R&D

Our DNA

Research & Development and Innovation has been one of the keys to ISQ’s track record throughout nearly 50 years of its existence.
This characteristic is based on continuously anticipating the needs of the business environment and on the development of adequate response capabilities, based around 3 fundamental aspects:

  • Adequate facilities
  • Technologically advanced equipment
  • High-level human resources

 In partnership with over 1200 industrial and academic partners, both in Portugal and around the world, ISQ promotes the transfer of technology to industry, contributing to greater sustainability and development of the business fabric.

As a result of the R&D activities, emphasis should be placed on the recent applications of automated Phased Array and Guided Wave technology in oil industry facilities in Portugal and internationally, the application of life cycle assessment and Eco-Design in the development of new sustainable products, the smart monitoring of cathodic protection systems and the characterisation and control of coatings, and the use of automated Phased Array technology in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tanks.


Centres for Research and Development + Innovation

ISQ’s R&D+i activity is coordinated around four centres, which address the priority areas.

ISQ has been a partner or coordinator in more than 500 R&D projects (since the 1980s) and participates in the IXV programmes (European Space Agency re-entry vehicle), ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), CERN (Large Hadron Collider), projects ALMA and E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope) of ESO (European Southern Observatory).

In the annual ranking of the 100 companies that spend the most on R&D activities in Portugal, published by GPEARI (Planning, Strategy, Assessment and International Relations Office) based on the Survey of National Scientific and Technological Potential, ISQ has continuously been among the top 50 in the period between 2007 and 2009.

Over this period its average investment was close to 5 million euros, and in 2009 it ranked 6th in terms of the number of PhD holders assigned to R&D activities, measured in Full Time Equivalents (FTE).

ITER

cs and plasma in tokamak us iter
INNOVATION & R&D 1

ITER is under construction in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (Cadarache), southern France. The buildings and infrastructure required for “First Plasma” are 75% complete and the assembly of the equipment is underway. The first phase is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 with “First Plasma”.


From 2025 onwards, experiments will be conducted with gradual power increases, interspersed with process development periods. Start-up at full power is planned for 2035.

Assigned Teams

PORTUGAL · Oeiras

1st SEVERAL INSPECTORS CARRY OUT SPOT INSPECTIONS OF THE DIFFERENT F4E SUPPLIERS

SPAIN · F4E (Barcelona)

2nd MAGNETS, IN VESSEL, QUALITY TEAM

FRANCE · ITER Site (Cadarache)

3rd MAGNETS, QUALITY TEAM, PF COILS

4th CNIM (LA SEYNE SUR MER) – TF COIL

5th ATMOSTAT (PARIS) – IN VESSEL

ITALY · Walter Tosto

6th VACCUM VASSEL, BODY CASSETTE

7th MAGGIAROTTI (MONFALCONI) – VESSEL VACCUM

8th SIMIC (PORTO MARGHERA) — MAGNETS

CERN

For several years an ISQ team monitored the manufacturing and installation of different components, accessories and structures for what is considered one of the largest research projects of our time. Here, it all starts with a “simple” canister of hydrogen — “The Bottle to Bang”.

ESA

Over the last few years, ISQ and ESA have been partners in several projects, in particular the recent assessment of the availability and suitability of surface treatments as an alternative to those containing hexavalent chromium

CNES / ARIANESPACE – KOUROU

A team has been part of the quality assurance service since 2003, working in the areas of Soil Quality, Fluids and Mechanics, Safety, Onboard Quality and Satellites. Yet again, hydrogen functions here as the fuel for the main stage of Ariane 5.

ESO

ISQ’s current participation in the ELT (Extremely Large Telescope) project consists of maintaining a team at Quality Assurance in Garching (Munich), the ESO’s headquarters. The main mirror of the ELT will have a diameter of 39 metres, made up of 798 segments. The telescope will be the largest ever built and will be installed at Cerro Armazones, near Paranal, Chile.

More R&D+i Projects

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AMICCI18-20

Acronym: AmICCI18-20 Project name: Strategic Project to Support Internationalization, Consolidation of Competences and Promotion of Excellence in strategic areas of Industrial Research - 2018-2019 Project code: LISBON-01-0145-FEDER-038001 Total Cost: 317,203.65€ Funding value: 126,881.46€ Goals: ISQ is positioned as a national technological...

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PDR PT2020 FEADER
INNOVATION & R&D 2

QUALIMILHO

The QUALIMILHO project aims to identify potentially mycotoxin-producing fungi that occur in corn fields and grains stored for commercialization in Portugal..

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PAC – Portugal AutoCluster for the Future

PAC – Portugal Autocluster for the Future (PAC) Project is a mobilizing project closely aligned with “Mobinov Cluster – Portuguese Automotive Cluster’s action plan. Through a set of 6 PPS, it aims to develop, test, and demonstrate a new generation...

Starting Year:  2020

Project Area: Industry, Innovation, R&D and Innovation

upgrade

The uPGRADE project is intended for the development, integration and preparation for the operation of a sampleprototype of a CubeSat platform with competence for commercial and scientific purposes, such as Earth observation, communications, territory monitoring, support of distributed and/or fractional...

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encrypt
INNOVATION & R&D 3

ENCRYPT 4.0

The Encrypt 4.0 project main aim is to strengthen the capacity of manufacturing SMEs to ensure the security of their data in the Industry 4.0 context and to contribute to tackling the cybersecurity workforce shortage by creating a comprehensive training...

Starting Year:  2020

Project Area: VET Projects

TRUST
INNOVATION & R&D 4

TRUST

RUST is an Erasmus+ funded project with a duration of 24 months (December 2020 to December 2022) and is set to enhance integration of training offer in countries with lower engagement or access to it while increasing transparency of competences...

Starting Year:  2020

Project Area: Education, Industry

WELDING SIMULATOR

Virtual reality learning toolThe ISQ Group develops digital skills applicable to welding training with the immediate advantage of improving the efficiency of the training process by reducing waste with high cost materials and consumables, reducing risks. It allows technology to...

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LIGHTCOCE

Building an Ecosystem for the up-scaling of lightweight multi-functional concrete and ceramic materials and structuresLightCoce aims to create an innovation ecosystem (Open Innovation Test Bed) for the development and scale of lighter and multifunctional materials and structures, composed primarily of...

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PROCETS

Protective Composite Coatings Via Electrodeposition and Thermal SprayingCoatings are of critical importance to European industry and the challenge is to find less toxic and less aggressive materials. The PROCETS project seeks to respond to this challenge with the help of...

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PURENANO

New methods for in-situ purification and regeneration of coating baths for metals, involving the use of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). This prevents the baths from being discarded and suspended particles are recovered for reuse. ISQ is responsible for identifying and...

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