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


Coop In
INNOVATION & R&D 2

COOP-IN

Acronym: Coop-in Project Title: Coop-in – Social Innovation Training for Virtual Work Based Learning Total Cost: 43187,00€ Funding: 43187,00€ The Coop-in project aims to raise awareness about the advantages of implementing social innovation at work by developing a complex Social Innovation...

Starting Year:  2017

Project Area

Induce 1
INNOVATION & R&D 3

INDUCE 4.0

Acronym: INDUCE 4.0 Project Title: INDUCE 4.0 – Work-based training in the field of industry 4.0 for competitive European Industry Total Cost: 26320,67€ Funding: 25654,00€ According to PwC Global survey (2016) regarding Industry 4.0, among SMEs, respondents report their biggest...

Starting Year:  2017

Project Area

MoveUp
INNOVATION & R&D 4

Move Up

Acronym: Move Up Project Title: Move Up – Boosting the Social Skills of Adults for Better Employability and Success at Work Total Cost: 27998,67€ Funding: 27832,00€ Project will contribute to adults in developing their social skills therefore they will have...

Starting Year:  2017

Project Area

MyselfEurope
INNOVATION & R&D 5

Myself&Europe

Acronym: Myself&Europe Project Title: Myself&Europe – Tools for promoting an active European citizenship for disadvantaged youngsters with diverse backgrounds Total Cost: 40605,00€ Funding: 39855,00€ Sixty years after the Rome Treaty, more than ever, it is crucial to speak about “Unity...

Starting Year:  2017

Project Area

Refuskills
INNOVATION & R&D 6

Refuskills

  Acronym: Refuskills   Project Name: Qualification Assessments for Refugee Trainning and Employment: Fasttrack with Ecvet and Skillsbank  Grant agreement no: 2016-1-NO01-KA202-022083 Total cost: 20973,00€ Total Funding: 20973,00€ OBJECTIVES: The world is facing an unprecedented displacement crisis. Today, almost 60 million people are forcibly displaced...

Starting Year:  2017

Project Area

SkillCircle
INNOVATION & R&D 7

SKILL CIRCLE

Acronym: SKILL CIRCLE Project Title: SKILL CIRCLE – Skills for transition to circular economy Total Cost: 28.040,00€ Funding: 27.040,00€ Building a circular economy for Europe is a key priority (EU Policy Report Jan 2017). Closing the loop-the Action Plan for...

Starting Year:  2017

Project Area

Challenge
INNOVATION & R&D 8

T-Challenge

Acronym: T-Challenge Project Title: T-Challenge – Entrepreneurship education using Challenge-based learning Total Cost: 48388,00€ Funding: 47388,00€ T-Challenge project aims to: a) Promote entrepreneurship education through the use of alternative pedagogical resources using ICT, at the same time as using challenge...

Starting Year:  2017

Project Area: VET Projects

Weld4.0
INNOVATION & R&D 9

WELD 4.0

Acronym: WELD 4.0 Project Title: WELD 4.0 – Redesigning Welding Profile for the Needs of Industry 4.0 Total Cost: 41845,00€ Funding: 41845,00€ The WELD4.0 project, submitted in 2017 to the UK Erasmus+ National Agency, has six main objectives: 1) To...

Starting Year:  2017

Project Area

WOW
INNOVATION & R&D 10

WOW

Acronym: WOW Project Title: WOW – Work-based learning Opportunities in Welding Total Cost: 49038,00€ Funding: 39230,40€ WOW is a KA3 project aiming to establish a VET - Business partnership on Work-based learning and Apprenticehsips. The project aims to bridge the...

Starting Year:  2017

Project Area

LIFT
INNOVATION & R&D 11

LIFT

Acronym: LIFT Project Title: LIFT – Ladies Code Their Future Total Cost: 24953,00€ Funding: 24153,00€ "Women are under-represented among ICT specialists in all EU Member States; a striking contrast with total employment where the genders are broadly balanced. Figures show...

Starting Year:  2017

Project Area