UC researcher among the “National Champions” of the European Innovation Council

The nomination, which rewards involvement in innovation and development research projects, recognises the selected scientists as ambassadors for the EIC, a body set up under the Horizon Europe programme to identify, develop and deploy breakthrough technologies and breakthrough innovations.

The UC scientist has been selected for the award (which includes names from academia, industry and civil society from across the European Union) as a result of her involvement in prominent European research and innovation projects in the field of breakthrough materials and biosensors development. Speaking at the opening of the European Innovation Council in Portugal tomorrow, 23 March, Dr. Sales said: "I don't see this nomination as recognition, but as a mission to promote the implementation of innovation projects and knowledge transfer from science to society."

Officially launched by the European Commission on 18 March, the European Innovation Council is one of the major innovations of Horizon Europe (the European Union Research and Innovation Framework Programme). With a budget of €10 billion for the period 2021-2027, the EIC will support start-ups, SMEs and research teams developing high-risk, high-impact breakthrough 'innovations', with a particular focus on scaling up game-changing solutions that contribute to the objectives of the European Green Deal and the European Economic Recovery Plan.

In addition to Goreti Sales, the list of Portuguese EIC "National Champions" includes Marta Baptista (Transformation Engineer at With Company), Miguel Castanho (Professor at the Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Lisbon), Carlos Oliveira (Executive President of the José Neves Foundation), José Fernando Ramos de Figueiredo (Member of the Investment Committee of the EIC Equity Fund) and André Mão de Ferro (Co-Founder and Managing Director of C2C-NewCap).