InvestPorto drives collaboration: UCP and Elementis join forces for sustainable chemical innovations
The Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry at the School of Biotechnology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) and Elementis, an international company operating in the chemical sector, has partnered to develop new products in sustainable chemistry. The InvestPorto municipal office was the driving force behind this joint venture in the area of R&D.
The launch event occurred at the Porto's Regional Center of the Universidade Católica and was attended by Ricardo Valente, the Councillor for the Economy, Employment, and Entrepreneurship.
The support of Porto, through InvestPorto, enabled these two entities to create the conditions for establishing this partnership, a fact highlighted by the director of UCP's Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF), Manuela Pintado, during the ceremony.
Ricardo Valente emphasized the project's significance for Porto's investment attraction strategy, stressing that through InvestPorto, around 500 investment projects have already been accompanied in Porto, with an investment of around 1.8 billion euros and more than 20,000 qualified jobs.
"This project demonstrates the city's ability to attract projects on a competitive basis, emphasizing the crucial link between companies and academia. This partnership and UCP's commitment to their research center of excellence are proving rewarding and allow us to anticipate growth in the ecosystem of high value-added companies coming to the city," said the Councillor for the Economy, Employment, and Entrepreneurship.
The partnership between the company, which was recently set up in Porto, and the Universidade Católica will also allow the training of qualified human resources in a research environment.
"As a research center and associated laboratory, whose mission is also to transfer knowledge and impact society, we must develop strategic partnerships like this one that allow us to leverage the science we produce," the Director of CQBF Manuela Pintado explained.
The London-based Elementis group has announced that it intends to invest up to three million euros in its first global center of excellence and research and development (R&D) laboratory in the country, which will open in the second half of 2024 in Porto.
"Through this collaboration, we will combine our expertise in formulation with the advanced technology and analytical capabilities of the Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry to offer innovative and sustainable solutions to the markets we serve," explained Joe Lupia, Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Elementis. "We have the ambition to launch 50 new products by 2026, a goal for which this research and development center in Porto will play a crucial role, which is why it is so important to establish partnerships that can enrich our efforts," he concluded.
The launch event was also attended by the rector of the Portuguese Catholic University, Isabel Capeloa Gil.
