Research in Lisbon is worth it

Over the last years, Portugal has been playing a leading role in Sciences internationally. As an example, highlights go to the appointment of Portuguese scientists for General Secretariat of the International Astronomical Union and the Presidency of the European Academy of Sciences. Internationally renowned research projects have been developed in the area of biomedical sciences, such as the project “Luta contra a Malária”. In the scope of physical sciences, the Physics of Information and Quantum Technologies Group of Instituto Superior Técnico was awarded by its projects regarding quantum internet and fundamental sciences of quantum microwaves.

Highlights also go to the pioneer research in transparent electronics, namely thin-film transistors based on oxide semiconductors.

The European Research Council awarded the 16th and 17th century History of Science group for the development of a project about the History of Science in Portugal.

There are countless investigation and intervention spaces in different areas of knowledge that are open to the curiosity of researchers who accept the challenge of exercising their activity in Lisbon.

The city’s environment favours the transfer of knowledge from the academia to companies due to the existence of a dynamic and diversified entrepreneurial ecosystem formed by incubators, start-ups, accelerators, enterprises, fablabs and creative hubs that are quite receptive to scientific contributions.

The region of Lisbon is clearly focusing on knowledge and innovation. Approximately 72% of companies invest in product or process innovation activities (national average = 66.8% 1 ).

The main State laboratories based in Lisbon, such as the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, National Laboratory of Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC), National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (LNEG) or the Hydrographic Institute, focus on research in the field of natural sciences, engineering, and technologies. These laboratories have many foreign researchers in their teams.

¹ DGEEC/Jan 2019

More than one third of Portugal’s research centres are in Lisbon. Highlights to those that focus on arts and human sciences, social sciences, engineering, and exact sciences. The Champalimaud Foundation and Instituto Gulbenkian da Ciência stand out in the field of life sciences.

In the region of Lisbon, investment in research and development is significantly higher than the national average. Approximately 44% of the total expenditure in R&D and 1.2% of researchers are concentrated in this region. Lisbon also has three relevant scientific and technological parks (Lispolis, Taguspark and Mandapark) (2).

Lisbon employs more than 8.5 researchers per thousand assets, a number that is higher than the European average (7.9/thousand assets). In 2017, in the European researchers ranking, Lisbon was 11th in terms of active population and in 5th as to the number of female researchers (2016) (3).

2. INE, Statistics Yearbook, ed 2017, Year 2016
3. Eurostat | OECD | National Entities, ORDATA

There is a wide network of public and private research centres and laboratories in Lisbon, where exciting projects can be developed with team leaders from multiple areas of knowledge.

Most research centres have quite an informal, strongly international and multicultural work environment. In the labs, there is an environment of sharing of information and results between teams, which creates the potential for significant scientific and technological advances.

The excellence of work teams contributes to the enrichment of scientific environment and constant innovation.

There is a great variety of research centres in Lisbon that are extremely prestigious internationally, such as the Champalimaud Centre, the Instituto Gulbenkian da Ciência, the iMM – Instituto de Medicina Molecular, the IST – Instituto Superior Técnico, and the Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication.

Lisbon offers a wide variety of research centres and a network of highly qualified public and private universities and institutes with a great capacity to attract foreign students. The two largest Public Universities of Lisbon, ULisboa and NOVA University Lisbon, are within the world’s 1000 main institutions, in 220th and 439th place, respectively (4).

Approximately 36% of Lisbon’s residents have a degree. This is significantly higher than national average (25%) (5).

Portugal is first in the OECD ranking with the highest percentage of women who have a degree in the STEM areas (science, technology and mathematics) (57%), well ahead of OECD average (39%). Highlights also go to the ISCTE, as it is the higher education institution in this ranking that has best guaranteed Gender Equity, at the national level, in 2019 (6).

4. Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR).
5. Lisbon’s Economy in Figures 2017
6. The University Impact Rankings

Lisbon is also a city where it is still possible to establish close social connections with colleagues and neighbours or walk or ride a bike to work. In city neighbourhoods, in addition to local shops, there are leisure areas for children, small coffee houses, and even community vegetable gardens.

The offer of cultural events, such as theatre, concerts, cinema cycles, opera, exhibitions, is wide and affordable and so is access to sports equipment and events, namely those related to nautical sports.

According to the European Commission’s report, Lisbon is the second in the general ranking of XL cities (between 500 thousand and one million inhabitants), which evaluates the performance of European cities in terms of culture and creativity (7).

7. The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor, 2019 Edition

Portugal is considered the world’s 4th safest country by the Global Finance Magazine when considering indicators such as natural disasters, crime, terrorism, and war (8).

In Lisbon, the likelihood of someone being involved in physical confrontations due to their ethnical origin or religious beliefs or being the target of violent crimes is low.

Lisbon has a calm, secure atmosphere that favours the development of innovation and creativity.

8. World Economic Forum, The Global Institute for Peace and Numbeo.com

Quality of life indicators in Lisbon, such as safety or cost of living, are very positive. When compared to other capital cities, Lisbon is 38th of the 50 world cities with the best quality of life – Mercer, Quality of living worldwide city rankings 2022.

Quality of Life Index

Source: numbeo.com (June de 2022)