UPTEC awarded LIPOR’s Coração Verde Certification

UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto has been awarded the Coração Verde Certification, granted by LIPOR – the Association of Municipalities for Sustainable Waste Management of Greater Porto. The distinction recognises organisations that implement good environmental sustainability practices and corresponds to the highest level of LIPOR’s certification model.

The distinction results from the successful implementation of measures and equipment designed to improve waste separation and selective collection in the common areas and offices of the companies based across UPTEC’s centres: Asprela, Mar and Baixa.

The actions implemented in partnership with LIPOR aim primarily to increase waste recovery by promoting the recycling of paper, plastic and glass, while reducing the amount of undifferentiated waste. The process also involved awareness-raising activities aimed at the UPTEC community, encouraging the adoption of good environmental practices by companies, employees and the cleaning teams responsible for the different buildings.

“This certification recognises collective and ongoing work. More than installing new equipment, we sought to create a culture of environmental responsibility within our community. This is another step towards integrating sustainability into UPTEC’s daily life and reinforcing our commitment to an innovation ecosystem that creates positive economic, social and environmental value,” says Isabel Martins Silva, Communication and Sustainability Coordinator at UPTEC.

The Coração Verde Certification joins other initiatives that UPTEC has been promoting to reduce its environmental impact and raise awareness among the community about more sustainable practices, such as campaigns for the collection of electrical and electronic waste and the distribution of local agricultural products promoted by AMAP at UPTEC Baixa.

Sustainability is also present in UPTEC’s activity through acceleration programmes such as ClimateLaunchpad, dedicated to the development of solutions to tackle climate change and whose national final will take place on 22 July, and BluAct, which supports entrepreneurship linked to the blue economy and ocean protection.

In this edition of the programme, 98 organisations from the region were distinguished, bringing the total number of certified organisations to 535 and the number of Coração Verde community members to around 850. The award ceremony took place on 30 May 2026, at the Central Organic Recovery Auditorium, in Baguim do Monte.