Teresa Mata

INEGI is a Research and Technology Organization founded in 1986 as a non-profit private association among what are now the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and of Industrial Engineering and Management of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto. Being recognized as of public utility, INEGI is an active agent in the development and consolidation of a competitive model based on knowledge and on high technological product and process innovation.  INEGI’s mission is to contribute to the increase of the competitiveness of the national industry through Research and Development, Technology Transfer, Consulting Services and Advanced Training in the fields of engineering design, materials, production technology, energy and environment and industrial management.  INEGI is the largest of the four management institutions (MIs) of LAETA (Laboratory for Energy, Transport, and Aerospace), which was classified as Excellent in the previous FCT evaluation of R&D units. Since 2018, INEGI has served as the primary MI of LAETA, representing 51% of its integrated researchers. LAETA aims to play a fundamental role in the future of research, innovation and advanced education in areas related to Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering by performing research that contributes to scientific development, by promoting innovation and technology transfer, and by reinforcing the conditions for curricular innovation and advanced training at all participating Universities. The core scientific knowledge of LAETA is consolidated in 5 Research Groups (RGs): Materials and Manufacturing Processes (MMP); Structures and Mechanical Systems (SMS); Intelligent Systems and Control (ISC); Energy, Environment and Sustainability (EES); and Biomechanics (BM). LAETA will strengthen and increase its core scientific competencies through internal and external collaborations, by anticipating required advances in science and technology, and by facilitating the pursuit of new research avenues.  It must be noted that INEGI’s Research Pillar replicates that of LAETA. This structure was defined to reinforce the synergies between the researchers of all Mis and RGs, to promote multidisciplinary R&I, to ensure a sound balance between fundamental and applied research, to answer to the main scientific challenges in LAETA’s activity areas, and to provide adequate support to research, innovation and public policy priorities. INEGI has a strong Energy, Environment and Sustainability Group. Their insight on the Life Cycle Analysis and Life Cycle Costing will be detrimental for the successful development of this project. Additionally, INEGI has all the adequate facilities to support this project. For the aforementioned reasons this institution is considered to be an asset for the success of projects.