When Portuguese Talent Leads the Energy Transition

There are news stories that remind us why it is so important to invest in knowledge, science, and universities. The announcement that the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto will lead a 5.4 million euro European project to accelerate renewable energy communities is one of these news. Not only for the value involved, but for the deep meaning it has for Portugal and for the international recognition of our academic institutions.
FEUP will coordinate the INNO-TREC project, funded by the European Commission, which will start in January 2026 and will involve academic and industrial partners from six European countries. The goal is clear and ambitious: to create advanced digital tools that simplify, make more accessible and more efficient the entire life cycle of renewable energy communities, from their creation to daily operation and long-term optimization.
What is at stake goes far beyond technology. It is about giving people, companies, and municipalities the real ability to produce, consume and share 100% renewable energy in a simple and transparent way. Today, many of these initiatives run into complex legal hurdles, high costs, and a lack of reliable tools. This project wants precisely to remove these barriers and democratize access to clean energy.
It is impossible not to see in this project a reflection of the path that Portugal has taken. A country that has invested in renewable energy, which has invested in engineering, which has trained highly skilled generations and that today is beginning to reap the benefits of this vision. The fact that FEUP is leading this European consortium, which brings together 20 partners and will be tested in countries such as Portugal, Greece, Belgium, Ireland, the UK, and Italy, speaks volumes about the level of trust that Europe has in Portuguese talent.
There is also a detail that deserves to be highlighted. The INNO-TREC project achieved the maximum possible score, 15 out of 15, in one of the most competitive European calls in the field of energy. This does not happen by chance. It is the result of scientific excellence, technical rigor, and coordination skills. It is also the second time in a row that FEUP has led a major European project in this field, after EU-DREAM. We are talking about regularity, not exceptions.
Although we so often approach Europe's energy future in political or industrial terms, this project reminds us that the real driver of change is often in universities. They are the ones who create knowledge, develop solutions, and train the people who will implement the energy transition on the ground.
For me, this news is deeply motivating. This shows that Portuguese colleges are not only keeping pace with Europe. They lead. They design solutions that will be used by real communities, in different countries, with a direct impact on people's lives.
Portugal now has universities capable of leading structuring projects on a European scale. It is home to internationally renowned engineers, researchers, and professors. And it has an ecosystem that is beginning to connect science, technology, energy, and society in a mature way.
FEUP is another example of how the country has much more to show the world than we often believe. When we invest in the right knowledge, with ambition and vision, results show. And they appear to have a European impact.