A significant partnership between NOVA University Lisbon and the Oeiras Municipality was formalized this Wednesday, June 26th, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding.
The agreement, signed at Parque dos Poetas, marked a pivotal moment for both institutions. The signing ceremony was attended by João Sàágua, Rector of NOVA University Lisbon, and Isaltino Morais, Mayor of Oeiras.
This partnership includes the installation of several strategic projects in the city, such as the NOVA Institute for Medical Systems Biology (NIMSB), the CoLab Innov Gastronomy, and the NOVA Information Management School (IMS), further solidifying Oeiras’ reputation as a centre for cutting-edge research and education. The establishment of NIMSB in Oeiras is also expected to enhance the municipality’s status as a hub for scientific research and innovation in Life Sciences, significantly impacting the local and national scientific and technological ecosystem.
“We intend for NIMSB and the Life Sciences Campus in Oeiras to be a decisive piece in NOVA’s biomedical research and an example of strategic collaboration in this area,” said João Sàágua, Rector of NOVA University Lisbon. “We want to be collaborative champions,” he added. “Together we will build another NOVA University in the municipality of knowledge, innovation, and education, in Oeiras, for the good of the country.”
Isaltino Morais, Mayor of Oeiras, also emphasized the importance of establishing NIMSB in the city.
“NIMSB will establish a significant part of the advanced research infrastructure in Oeiras. With the installation of 300 researchers, this institute converges NOVA’s biomedical research and, together with other partners, will contribute to creating the largest Life Sciences Campus in the country and one of the most relevant in Europe, capable of embracing any research challenge in the areas of biology and biomedicine,” said Isaltino Morais, Mayor of Oeiras.
Long-standing relationship
This collaboration extends the long-standing relationship between NOVA and the municipality, building on successful initiatives like the ITQB NOVA – Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier.
The new projects are expected to create opportunities for research, collaboration, and technological development, attracting top-tier talent and investment to the region.
The establishment of NIMSB and other initiatives promises to foster a thriving environment for scientific discovery and innovation in a future healthy lifestyle and sustainable campus open to the society.
NIMSB is a research institute in the field of Precision Medicine aiming to apply innovative biomedical and digital technologies, such as machine learning algorithms and other forms of artificial intelligence, to the development of health solutions.
“NIMSB aims to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie diseases and from there develop new diagnostic tools and new therapeutic solutions. At the same time, it aims to lead the transformation in the area of Precision Medicine to allow us to target diagnoses and treatments to groups of people, leading patients to more appropriate therapies,” said Isabel Rocha, Vice Rector of NOVA University Lisbon, during the ceremony.