From July 14 to 16, the vibrant academic environment of University of Lisbon will become a meeting point for innovation, collaboration, and international exchange through the Unite!Widening Summer School @ ULisboa: Innovation & Training Days. Bringing together researchers, PhD students, and university staff from across Europe, the initiative represents an important step toward strengthening the European research and innovation ecosystem.
Hosted across several renowned institutions — including Técnico Lisboa, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Higher Institute of Agronomy, and LISPOLIS — the Summer School will offer participants an immersive experience focused on knowledge sharing, practical training, and international cooperation within the Unite! Alliance network.
Over three intensive days, attendees will engage in a rich programme combining expert-led workshops, mentoring opportunities, laboratory visits, innovation showcases, and hands-on training sessions. Designed to support professional growth and interdisciplinary collaboration, the event aims to empower participants with the skills and perspectives needed to navigate today’s rapidly evolving research and innovation landscape.
The event will take place across several ULisboa schools and institutions, including Técnico ULisboa, the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (FCUL), and the Higher Institute of Agronomy (ISA), as well as at LISPOLIS, bringing together participants from different universities within the Unite! alliance.
Over the course of three days, PhD students, researchers, and staff members will have access to a diverse programme featuring workshops, mentoring sessions, expert talks, laboratory visits, and practical training activities focused on research, innovation, and international collaboration. The programme will include dedicated sessions and training paths specifically tailored to each target group.
Trainings
The trainings will run in three parallel tracks:
- Training A – Young Researchers
- Training B – PhD Students
- Training C – Staff
Each participant may register for only one training track and will not be able to attend the others simultaneously.
In other words:
- participants enrolled in Training A cannot participate in Training B or Training C;
- the same principle applies to the remaining tracks.
Training places will be limited and subject to a selection process, with the following initial allocation planned per training:
- 6 participants from ULisboa;
- 6 participants from Wroclaw Tech;
- 7 participants from non-Widening universities;
- 4 participants from other Widening universities.
Workshops
The Summer School will also include thematic workshops organized in parallel sessions:
WS1 – Health & Digital
A workshop dedicated to challenges and opportunities in health, digitalization, and technological innovation.
WS2 – Urban & Circular Economy
Focused on sustainability, circular economy, and innovative urban solutions.
WS1 and WS2 will take place simultaneously, meaning participants must choose only one of these workshops.
WS3 – For Researchers: Knowing R&D Ecosystems
Sessions designed for researchers focusing on research ecosystems, innovation, and knowledge transfer.
WS4 – For PhDs: Knowing Innovation Ecosystems
A workshop dedicated to PhD students, focusing on innovation ecosystems, entrepreneurship, and academia-industry collaboration.
WS3 and WS4 will also run in parallel, and participants will not be able to attend both.
The workshops will be open to all participants, with no limitation on the number of places available.
Additional Programme
The event will also include:
- talks with researchers and industry representatives;
- networking sessions;
- visits to ISA living labs;
- visits to FCUL laboratories;
- presentations of spin-offs and innovation ecosystems;
- mentoring and international collaboration opportunities.
The Unite!Widening Summer School @ ULisboa stands out as a unique opportunity to develop skills, exchange international best practices, and strengthen European collaboration networks in research and innovation.
