Portugal–Denmark Project: Science, Innovation and Diplomacy

The Portugal–Denmark: Science, Innovation and Diplomacy (PCID) project is a Science Diplomacy initiative promoted by SPOT Nordic and supported by the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It aims to structurally connect the research and innovation ecosystems of the two countries.

The objective is clear: to create a solid analytical foundation capable of supporting and sustaining potential bilateral agreements, strengthening mobility, funding, and strategic cooperation.

What will we analyse?

The report will compare Portugal and Denmark based on structural RDI (Research, Development and Innovation) and R&D (Research and Development) indicators, organized into four main dimensions:

• Framework conditions: human capital (STEM graduates and researchers per capita), scientific mobility, governance models, and university autonomy.

• Investment: GERD (Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D), BERD (Business Enterprise Expenditure on R&D), competitive European funding, and the share of international funding.

• Scientific and technological outputs: publications per capita, scientific impact, academic spin-offs, and high-growth enterprises.

• Economic and social impacts: high-tech exports, gross value added in knowledge-intensive sectors, and the absorption of PhD graduates by the labor market.

The analysis will combine international quantitative data (OECD, Eurostat, European Innovation Scoreboard) with strategic interviews involving policy makers, funding agencies, universities, researchers, and members of the scientific diaspora. This approach will allow us to interpret the data, identify structural factors, and understand the mechanisms that explain performance differences between the two systems.

The Role of Interviews

Interviews are a central pillar of the project. We aim to engage science policy decision-makers, funding agencies, universities, researchers, and members of the Portuguese scientific diaspora in Denmark.

We are seeking individuals with strategic capacity and practical experience, professionals who understand research funding, international competitiveness, science governance, and academia–industry collaboration, in order to interpret the data and identify structural factors behind performance differences.

Timeline – The Overall Vision

The project unfolds in four clear stages:

1. Comparative Analytical Report: Development based on performance indicators from both countries and qualitative data collected through interviews.

2. Policy Brief: Strategic synthesis with concrete recommendations for bilateral cooperation.

3. Draft Cooperation Protocol: Proposal of a possible formal cooperation framework between Portuguese and Danish entities.

4. Final Institutional Event: Public presentation of results and launch of formal discussions on the proposed protocol.

   
   

Expected Outcome and Impact

The project aims to produce a clear and well-grounded comparative analysis of the research and innovation systems of Portugal and Denmark, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas of complementarity.

Our goal is to create an informed foundation that objectively clarifies where the two countries can collaborate and generate concrete results.

As institutional cooperation agreements already exist between Portuguese research-support entities and organizations in other countries, this project seeks to lay the groundwork for a structured cooperation framework between Portugal and Denmark.

Through data, interviews, and institutional consultation, we aim to identify strategic areas, joint funding opportunities, and practical collaboration mechanisms.

This is therefore an applied exercise in science diplomacy: understanding both systems, mapping real opportunities for mutual support, and creating the conditions for sustained and results-oriented bilateral cooperation.