Ministers of Science and Territorial Cohesion visit InnovPlantProtect

Today, March 21, 2022, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) received a visit from the Ministers of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, and Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa, and the Secretary of State for the Enhancement of the Interior, Isabel Ferreira.

“Seeing these renovated facilities shows that there is an effort here that now needs to continue,” said Manuel Heitor, congratulating the InPP, particularly in terms of retaining highly qualified human resources, such as the 16 doctoral graduates from CoLAB. Ana Abrunhosa also congratulated InPP's associates on the combination of wills that gave birth to this collaborative laboratory, adding that the government will continue to give priority to interface structures such as CoLABs within the scope of European funding programs.

InPP's executive director, Pedro Fevereiro, led the tour of the new and old facilities at INIAV's Elvas Campus and presented InnovPlantProtect's structure, team, projects and future plans. Asked by Manuel Heitor about InPP's potential for internationalization, and while stressing that CoLAB is still in the installation phase, Pedro Fevereiro mentioned the various relationships already established in Spain and contacts to be explored with Brazil.

The fact that CoLAB has two multinationals (Bayer and Syngenta) as associates is aimed precisely at this strategy, recalled Isabel Rocha, vice-rector of NOVA University Lisbon, representing the InPP board of directors, arguing that this is a two-year project.

The visit was also attended by José Rondão Almeida, mayor of Elvas, Luís Loures, president of the Portalegre Polytechnic Institute (IPPortalegre), Fernando Rebola, vice-president of IPPortalegre, Rosário Félix, representing the University of Évora, Miguel de Castro Neto, from NOVA IMS, the president and vice-president of CCDR Alentejo, António Ceia da Silva and Carmen Carvalheira, Margarida Oliveira, from ITQB NOVA and coordinator of the InPP working group, the director of INIAV's Elvas Pole, Benvindo Maçãs, and Pedro Viterbo, manager of Fertiprado.