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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INNOVATION & R&D 2

MANUMOBILE

  Acronym: MANUMOBILE Project Name: MANUMOBILE: Transparency of credit allocation in VET and HE in Manufacturing Grant agreement no: 2015-1-UK01-KA202-013823 Total cost: 39490,00€ Total Funding: 39490,00€ OBJECTIVES: MANUMOBILE is an Erasmus+ project that will map the learning outcomes of three levels of the harmonized...

Starting Year:  2015

Project Area: VET Projects

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INNOVATION & R&D 3

MAKE IT

  Acronym: MAKE IT Project Name: MAKE IT - project Shift into Learning Outcomes in the Welding Sector  Grant agreement no: 562642-EPP-1-2015-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA Total cost:  148.545,00€ Total Funding:  148.545,00€ OBJECTIVES: The main aim of Let’s Make It Happen – a Shift into Learning Outcomes...

Starting Year:  2015

Project Area: VET Projects

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INNOVATION & R&D 4

LINK-Inc

  Acronym: LINK-Inc Project Name: LINK-Inc. Fostering equity and inclusion in Work-based Learning by equipping trainers and mentors with innovative approaches to address cultural and ethnic diversity in VET Grant agreement no: 2015-1-ES01-KA202-015962 Total cost: 23732,00€ Total Funding: 23732,00€ OBJECTIVES: LINK-Inc project aims to increase...

Starting Year:  2015

Project Area: VET Projects

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INNOVATION & R&D 5

Level-up

  Acronym: Level-up Project Name: Level-up! Workplace Tutor goes Europe Grant agreement no: 2015-1-DE02-KA202-002556 Total cost: 51.236,00€ Total Funding: 51.236,00€ OBJECTIVES: The project "Level-up! Workplace Tutor goes Europe" aims at increased professionalization and improved qualification of in-company VET personnel as one of the key...

Starting Year:  2015

Project Area: VET Projects

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INNOVATION & R&D 6

Lasertech

  Acronym: Lasertech Project Name: Lasertech: Harmonized Laser Technology Training across Europe Grant agreement no: 2015-1-ES01-KA202-015829 Total cost: 29.440,00€ Total Funding: 29.440,00€ OBJECTIVES: The main objective of the Lasertech project is to provide the guidelines to develop harmonized courses within technological areas representing “hot spots”...

Starting Year:  2015

Project Area: VET Projects

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INNOVATION & R&D 7

IYES

  Acronym: IYES Project Name: I-Yes – Improve Your Emotional Skills Grant agreement no: 2015-1-FR01-KA202-015115 Total cost: 36315,00€ Total Funding: 36315,00€ OBJECTIVES: “I-Yes – Improve your emotional skills” project main objective is contribute for combating school dropout, improve the academic standards of European students, and...

Starting Year:  2015

Project Area: VET Projects

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INNOVATION & R&D 8

INTEGR8

  Acronym: INTEGR8 Project Name: INTEGR8 - Harnessing the potential of migrant women as integration experts Grant agreement no: HOME/2015/AMIF/AG/INTE/9101 Total cost: 71485,51€ Total Funding: 64986,83€ OBJECTIVES: INTEGR8 is a new project being developed by seven organisations across Europe with the aim of training...

Starting Year:  2016

Project Area: VET Projects

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INNOVATION & R&D 9

INMA

  Acronym: INMA Project Name: INMA - Innovation Management Agents in SMEs Grant agreement no: 2015-1-TR01-KA202-022353 Total cost: 48011,00€ Total Funding: 48011,00€ OBJECTIVES: “INMA - Innovation Management Agents in SMEs” project main aim is the transference Turkey, Italy, Portugal, and Romania of an Occupational competences...

Starting Year:  2015

Project Area: VET Projects

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INNOVATION & R&D 10

HS-EMFW

Acronym: HS-EMFW Project Name: Health and Safety in Electromagnetic Fields in Welding Grant agreement no: 2015-1-ATOI-KA202-004982 Total cost: 17379,00€ Total Funding: 17379,00€ OBJECTIVES: HS-EMFW (Health and Safety in Electromagnetic Fields in Welding) project aims at avoiding unfulfillment of the stipulated mandatory limit values of...

Starting Year:  2015

Project Area: R&D and Innovation

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INNOVATION & R&D 11

HSE-Joining

  OBJECTIVES: Acronym: HSE-Joining Project Name: Health, safety and environment training curriculum development for joining technologies Grant agreement no: 2016-1-BE02-KA202-017322 Total cost: 31631,00€ Total Funding: 30242,00€ OBJECTIVES: HSE Joining project aims to assure safe work conditions in the joining professional sector. An employer must provide...

Starting Year:  2016

Project Area: VET Projects