Innovation Europe > News > Innovation EU Vol1-1 > University of Porto

The University of Porto is the biggest manufacturer of science and innovation in Portugal, producing one fifth of the scientific articles published each year and being responsible for some of the most relevant innovations in Portuguese industry.

With origins dating back to the 18th century, the University of Porto is currently the largest education and research institution in Portugal and one of the top 200 European universities.

Close to 30,000 students, 2,300 teachers and researchers along with 1,700 administrative staff attend its 15 schools and 69 scientific research units, spread across three university campuses located in the city of Porto, in northern Portugal.

Research & Development

The University of Porto is responsible for over 21% of the Portuguese articles indexed each year in the ISI Web of Science, dominating the scientific production in Portugal. In 2008, the number of articles indexed rose to 2,080, confirming the 13% average annual growth rate that the University of Porto has experienced since 2005.

More than in volume it is in the quality of its scientific production that the University stands out. Nearly half of its 69 research units were classified as “Excellent” or “Very Good” by the latest international evaluations. In fact, the University of Porto has some of the most productive and internationally renowned Portuguese R&D centres.

In the last few years, the University has been focusing on providing greater economic value to its scientific production and recent partnerships with Portuguese industry leaders have already resulted in several innovations with proven success in the national and international markets – from the featherweight gas canisters to new alcohol-free beers.

The innovation produced by the University of Porto has also led to the start-up of several new businesses. The institution is responsible for 93 patent applications, 84 of which were filed during the last three-year period. Just in service provision, the University has secured revenue of E12.2 million for 2008, 34.5% higher than recorded revenue from this source in 2007.

These figures show the focus of the University in terms of providing greater economic value to its scientific production and help to explain why the University of Porto is internationally recognised in various fields of study: Engineering and Technology Sciences (22 research units), Arts and Humanities (13), Health Sciences (11), Social Sciences (10), Exact Sciences (7) and Natural Sciences (6).

Education and Training

The University of Porto research and development activities are supported by the wide range of schools that comprise the University. Actually, with 14 faculties and a business school, the University of Porto provides an exceptional variety of courses, covering the whole range of study areas and all levels of higher education.

In fact, offering over 600 training programmes per year (from degrees to continuous professional training), the University of Porto has teaching solutions for everyone. Currently, nearly 30,000 students (7,500 postgraduates) attend the 241 degrees, masters and doctoral courses of the University.

Teaching staff comprising 1,895 full-time equivalent teachers (75% of which are PhDs) ensures a high quality of training that makes the University of Porto the most sought-after university in Portugal and the chosen university for candidates with highest grades. Just last year, four out of the 10 courses with highest average grades in Portugal were run by the University of Porto.

And every year a growing number of students from around the world choose the University of Porto to complete their higher education. In 2008, that number reached the record figure of 2,423 international students (8.1% of the total number of students).

University of Porto
Praça Gomes Teixeira
4099-002 Porto
Portugal
Tel: +3512 2040 8000
Fax: +3512 2040 8186/7
E-mail: up@up.pt
Website: www.up.pt