CICECO is currently the largest Portuguese institute in the field of materials science and engineering, with a staff of almost 500 persons from the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Materials and Ceramic Engineering from the University of Aveiro.
In the last national research assessment (2017/18) performed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, CICECO became the national best-rated Materials Science and Engineering Institute.
A special place we call home!
Mission
Create and disseminate scientific and technological knowledge to develop, process and apply materials that will anticipate and address the challenges of a global society.Vision
To strengthen our leading role as an inter-disciplinary European research laboratory in the field of materials;Contribute to the development of a scientific culture at the national level and educate students to high levels of scientific literacy;
Stimulate innovation within the industrial sector.
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
Holistic approach to materials aiming at addressing real-world challenges: synthesis, structure, properties, modelling, device design and interface with industry. Five thematic domains are considered: advanced materials; advanced industrial technological processes; efficient resources and processes management; robotics and intelligent manufacturing systems; collaborative networks and human centred industrial production.
SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Efficient green materials, processes and products through the development of biorefinery and circular economy frameworks for the use of biomass (from agroforest and maritime origin) as source of raw materials for chemicals, materials, and fuels production. It addresses also sustainable energy production, harvesting, and storage; pollution control by dealing with decontamination of air and water; and closing the loops in materials reuse and waste valorisation under a circular economy perspective.
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Knowledge, innovative products and services for pharmaceutical, medical devices, and advanced health care applications. Development of Biomaterials for regenerative medicine and disease modelling, cell-based therapies, in silico methodologies, analytical tools and sustainable strategies in biomedicine.
Scientific Production
With an average of 525 SCI papers/year (584 in 2021), CICECO is one of the most productive research institutes in the country in all scientific areas, but quality soon became our priority. With 15 papers in Science and Nature series published from 2013 to 2021, the majority of our scientific articles are published on Q1 Journals and registering high citation impact. Our outputs also include more than 400 PhD and 1300 Master thesis, 400 books and book chapters since our genesis.Research Infrastructure
CICECO instrumental facilities are the best in the country for research in Materials Science and Engineering, are fully available to our researchers, and comprise SEM, TEM, STEM, AFM, X-ray diffraction (single-crystal, powder, films), NMR (300, 500, 700 MHz, DNP, solids, liquids), vibrational spectroscopies, measurement of optical, magnetic (SQUID), electric, thermal, and mechanical properties, clean room, wet chemistry labs, furnaces, autoclaves, reactors, ALD, CVD, and a computer cluster, among others. Services are provided to external institutions.
Internationalization
CICECO is a truly international research centre recognized as a leading inter-disciplinary European research laboratory in the field of materials.Some of our main achievements in the internationalization plan are:
- 10 ERC grants, 6 FET-Open/European Innovation Council and 35 other European Funded Projects running in the last 5 years;
- > 70% of our Papers were made in collaboration with international institutions, with more than 1200 institutions from 74 countries;
- 28% of our full-time researchers and post-doc fellows are non-Portuguese;
- actively involved in the Network of Excellence 'Functionalised Advanced materials and Engineering of Hybrids and Ceramics', FAME, and in the INTERREG IIIB 'Materials Network for the Atlantic Area', or in Integrated Projects such as 'Innovation and Sustainable Development in the Fibre Based Packaging Value Chain';
- hosted one of the first and very few Portuguese Marie Curie Training sites, 'Advanced Ceramic Materials: Synthesis & Structure'.
Knowledge Transfer
CICECO is committed to knowledge transfer to industry, having a dedicated interface unit: Centre for Materials Design and Technology (CDTM). This unit also assists our researchers in preparing and managing industrial projects, creating spin-offs, dealing with industrial contracts and patenting.Industrial projects share has grown exponentialy, and with 66 projects currently running we were able to gather more than 20M€ in the last 5 years from industry projects and services funding.
We are also very active promoting entrepreneurship, having created 8 spin-offs (3 Proof-of-Concept ERC Grants).
With a portfolio of more than 200 patents, CICECO ranks among the most inventive national (industrial and academic) institutions in the country.