Matching Founders
Matching Founders is a hybrid platform that helps entrepreneurs find compatible co-founders based on values, skills, and ambitions. By combining digital matchmaking with in-person events, it fosters strong founding teams and supports a resilient startup ecosystem.
To learn more about the project, please contact mjbessa@uptec.up.pt
Project funded by Convocatória Aberta 2025, an initiative of the Câmara Municipal do Porto, coordinated by Porto Digital. Find out more at matchingfounders.cc
School of Startups: Foundations
Foundations is a remote, self-paced pre-incubation programme designed for aspiring entrepreneurs with very early-stage ideas.
Find out more at www.schoolofstartups.org
BOSS: Board of Students
The UPTEC Board of Students (BOSS) is an exclusive group of student advisors who participate in defining UPTEC's entrepreneurship and innovation policies. Applications for new students to join BOSS are now open at uptec.up.pt/board-of-students .
Know moreSMART3S
SMAR3TS is an international staff exchange project addressing climate change and environmental degradation through sociotechnical innovation. It empowers researchers across sectors to co-create solutions that support inclusive, sustainable, and regenerative futures.
To learn more about the project, please contact mmaldonado@uptec.up.pt
PROJECT FUNDED BY THE EU – Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie
BEACon
The BEACon Project will transform business support in the Atlantic Area, enhancing success rates through an evidence-based toolkit for business advisors. Using insights from Randomised Controlled Trials, BEACon ensures training and advisory services drive real impact.
To learn more about the project, please contact mjbessa@uptec.up.pt
EU COFUNDED PROJECT- Interreg Atlantic Area
Skale2CT
SKALE2CT strengthens the competitiveness of EU SMEs by supporting their scalability and expansion. It enhances the capacity of public and intermediary organisations to deliver better scale-up services, fostering sustainable SME growth and a more innovation-friendly European economy.
To learn more about the project, please contact mjbessa@uptec.up.pt
EU COFUNDED PROJECT- Interreg Europe
DRU
This project explores how universities can strengthen democracy by becoming more inclusive, community-engaged, and committed to democratic practices. Through international collaboration, it fosters shared learning on civic participation and inclusion.
To learn more about the project, please contact mmaldonado@uptec.up.pt
PROJECT FUNDED BY THE EU – Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie
SCALE’HER
SCALE’HER supports the growth of women-led digital and deep-tech startups by improving access to markets, networks, and funding across Europe. By fostering cross-border collaboration and engaging policymakers, it aims to build a more inclusive and connected European innovation ecosystem.
To learn more about the project, please contact taraujo@uptec.up.pt
PROJECT FUNDED BY THE EU – Horizon Europe
SED UP
This project promotes sustainable reuse of dredged marine sediments in the Atlantic Area, turning waste into valuable resources within a circular economy. Through transnational collaboration, it tests innovative applications and builds replicable value chains for sustainable sediment management and local development.
To learn more about the project, please contact mmaldonado@uptec.up.pt
EU COFUNDED PROJECT- Interreg Atlantic Area
PRODUTECH DIH
PRODUTECH DIH, an European Digital Innovation Hub, aims to drive the digitalisation of the manufacturing industry. Through a dual approach focusing on production technologies and manufacturing sectors, it enhances their role in the digital and green transformation of various manufacturing sectors.
To learn more about the project, please contact taraujo@uptec.up.pt
EU COFUNDED PROJECT
ST3ER
ST3ER’s main objectives are to facilitate tourism SMEs green and digital transition, support SME development/scaling up, foster innovative solutions for sustainable tourism and promote best practice exchanges, knowledge sharing and transfer. The project will support over 200 SMEs through targeted open calls.
To learn more about the project, please contact mjbessa@uptec.up.pt
EU COFUNDED PROJECT
HERFUND
HerFund ambition is to foster knowledge-sharing and synergies between innovation actors, existing initiatives/projects in order to support the next generation of startups, with an emphasis on women-led companies and gender-conscious investors.
To learn more about the project, please contact taraujo@uptec.up.pt.
EU FUNDED PROJECT
SaferSEA
SaferSEA will raise awareness of the challenges faced by the shipping industry, and help prevent the risks associated with maritime transport, reinforcing connections between regions of the Atlantic Area.
To learn more about the project, please contact mmaldonado@uptec.up.pt.
EU COFUNDED PROJECT- Interreg Atlantic
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INNOV4LIFE
INNOV4LIFE will create a cross-border network of LivingLabs specializing in digital health, and to provide real-world validation services, following science-based protocols, for digital solutions focused on dementias and cognitive degeneration.
To learn more about the project, please contact mjbessa@uptec.up.pt
EU COFUNDED PROJECT - Interreg Portugal-Spain
EIT Culture & Creativity
EIT Culture & Creativity is a Knowledge and Innovation Community that's bringing creatives from all walks of life together to rethink how we live as Europeans.
Know moreBlue Shuttle
Blue Shuttle aims to foster the digitalisation of the Blue Bioeconomy sector in the European countries of the Atlantic Area (Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal), to stimulate more efficient and sustainable processes, as well as creative and viable solutions to foster competitiveness and resilience.
To learn more about the project, please contact mjbessa@uptec.up.pt
EU COFUNDED PROJECT - Interreg Atlantic
BluAct
BluAct is a programme to support the growth of blue economy businesses, promoted by Câmara Municipal de Matosinhos in partnership with UPTEC. The initiative will award 10000€ in prizes to businesses/project ideas and companies that have a significant impact on the blue economy.
Santander X Explorer
The Santander X Explorer programme helps young people connect with their future by experiencing entrepreneurship as a career option. It is a 12-week online programme with a practical approach based on social learning dynamics, designed to enable participants to become an active part of change.
Know moreUPTEC++
The UPTEC++ project aims to enhance existing initiatives at UPTEC and create new, more agile ways of working, especially in interaction with startups. Focusing on the digitalization of processes, data management, and new acceleration programs, the project also seeks to strengthen the team to ensure the implementation and sustainability of the initiatives.
Financed by the PRR (Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência)
To know more about this project, please contact mmaldonado@uptec.up.pt
School of Startups
UPTEC ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMME
The School of Startups is a business ideas acceleration programme, designed to prepare entrepreneurs for the challenges of creating and developing a new business project.
ClimateLaunchpad
EIT CLIMATE-KIC COMPETITION
ClimateLaunchpad is the world’s largest green business ideas competition. Its mission is to unlock the world’s cleantech potential that addresses climate change. In Portugal, the ClimateLaunchpad competition is organised by UPTEC.
ESA BIC PORTUGAL
EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY INCUBATION PROGRAMME
The ESA Business Incubation Centre in UPTEC enables entrepreneurs to receive comprehensive business and technical support to set up their business using space technology for non-space industrial and commercial uses.
