SPOT Nordic Hosts Scientific Council Meeting in Copenhagen

On the morning of September 26, SPOT Nordic held its Scientific Council meeting at La Oficina in Copenhagen, opening up the debate on the role of science as a driver of diplomacy and innovation.

Context and the Role of the Scientific Council

The session began with a warm welcome to all members of the Scientific Council, chaired by Duarte Ferreira, Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.

Also joining from Sweden was Iolanda Leite, Associate Professor in the Division of Robotics, Perception and Learning at KTH – Royal Institute of Technology.

From Finland, the Council includes Ricardo Correia, Associate Professor in the Biodiversity Unit at the University of Turku, and Inês Peixoto, Associate Professor at the University of Vaasa in industrial management, focusing on technology and sustainability.

With strong ties to Norway and currently residing in Portugal, Ana Lillebø joined as a new member of the Scientific Council. She is Vice-Rector and Principal Investigator at the University of Aveiro, Department of Biology, where she also coordinates several European research projects.

From Portugal, participants included Nuno Candeias, Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Aveiro, and Maria Helena Nunes, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon.

Also present were David Pereira de Castro, President of SPOT Nordic, Lecturer and PhD Fellow in International Political Economy at Copenhagen Business School, as well as Rita Valinhas, Secretary of the current Board and Project Coordinator, and Daniela Murteira, Scientific Diplomacy Intern at SPOT Nordic.

Representing Denmark on the Council are Pedro Carvalho, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental Sciences at Aarhus University, and Joana Lobo Vicente, Scientific Council Coordinator on the Board and Specialist in chemicals, environment, and human health at the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen.

A discussion then followed regarding the mission and role of the Scientific Council within the structure of SPOT Nordic.

It was emphasized that it is important to clearly distinguish between the responsibilities of the association and those of the Council:

SPOT Nordic focuses on promoting interactions, organizing events, and maintaining diplomatic relations.

The Scientific Council serves as the decision-making body for research matters, ensuring the organization’s credibility with relevant authorities and institutions.

Projects, Funding Applications and European Strategy

The second part of the meeting focused on potential project applications and strategies to better position SPOT Nordic and its members within the European research and innovation landscape.

Mentoring for young researchers and entrepreneurs was highlighted as a key priority, especially given the differences between the Portuguese and Nordic contexts.

In Portugal, limited institutional mechanisms and lack of specialized support often make applying for funding and projects more difficult.

In the Nordic countries, robust funding lines and national programs provide a more structured environment for advancing research.

In this context, SPOT Nordic aims to play a strategic role in building bridges between Nordic and European capital structures and Portuguese stakeholders—including entrepreneurs, academic staff on mobility, students, and researchers.

The goal is to overcome alignment challenges between innovation priorities and funding opportunities, making the application process more accessible and benefiting from the expertise of those familiar with such programs.

The discussion also addressed the need to bring science and industry closer together, encouraging the economic valorization of research and challenging the notion that science and innovation cannot generate capital.

European frameworks and initiatives were analyzed, such as the Eurostars program, which supports collaborative R&D projects, as well as mechanisms that promote the transition from academia to market.

The issue of “legacy exploitation” was also raised. This often suffers from a lack of investment, but it represents a crucial dimension to ensure the continuity and impact of scientific projects.

Grants, Continuity and New Perspectives

Finally, the meeting addressed the topic of research grants and the continuity of the Scientific Council’s work.

Discussions focused on the execution of existing programs and the sharing of ideas for future initiatives, reinforcing the ambition to expand SPOT Nordic’s impact through new support mechanisms for researchers.

The debate also underlined the role of the association in creating a strong and extensive network capable of promoting knowledge transfer and aligning scientific and economic agendas between Portugal and the Nordic countries.

In summary, the meeting reinforced the conviction that research should be seen not only as knowledge production, but also as a strategy for social, economic, and diplomatic impact.

SPOT Nordic plays a fundamental role as a practical mechanism to create investment incentives and mobility programs within the Portuguese graduate diaspora in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland.

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