UPTEC wants to teach researchers how to create businesses

UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto – is now accepting applications for the 2025 School of Startups for Researchers edition. This free program empowers master’s and PhD students and researchers to explore the entrepreneurial potential of their scientific work. You can apply until May 6.

The programme runs in person at UPTEC Asprela I across five full days between May 13 and 23, with a final pitch session on May 30. During the sessions, participants team up to develop innovative ideas. Experienced mentors and entrepreneurs guide the groups throughout the journey. In the final session, each team pitches their project to a panel.

Participants dive into design thinking, business models, intellectual property, communication, and pitching. The programme is in Portuguese and doesn’t require a pre-existing business idea. Participants will form teams during the course and collaborate to build solutions.

UPTEC will choose up to 15 participants. The programme is entirely free. Submit your application by May 6 using this form.

School of Startups for Researchers: Over 300 people impacted

Since 2016, the School of Startups for Researchers has launched the entrepreneurial journeys of students and scientists across disciplines. Over 12 editions, the programme has welcomed 312 participants and sparked the development of 77 business ideas.
Rather than focusing solely on launching startups, the programme builds key entrepreneurial skills and helps researchers adopt an innovation mindset. One success story is Susplus, a startup that helps companies cut their climate impact. Surplus began its journey in this programme and won BluAct 2024, showing how the initiative creates real-world impact within and beyond academia.