Politécnico de Leiria

The Polytechnic of Leiria is a higher education institution dedicated to education and research, which trains citizens with relevant skills to contribute to sustainable regional and global development, and which generates knowledge and innovation of high cultural, economic and social value. Its research, innovation and community service activities span numerous scientific, technical and cultural areas, which are driven regionally by a robust research and innovation ecosystem and globally by the leadership of the European University RUN-EU.

The academic community of the Polytechnic of Leiria includes 1,600 professionals, including about 950 professors, 60% of whom have a PhD, and more than 200 researchers. It has about 13.500 students, distributed in Undergraduate and Master Degrees, as well as Higher Professional Technical Courses (TeSP), Post-Graduate Courses and a PhD in Direct Digital Manufacturing for the Polymer and Mold Industries, in partnership with the University of Minho.

Polytechnic of Leiria is located in the region of Leiria and Oeste through its higher schools and research units located in Leiria: Education and Social Sciences – ESECS, Technology and Management – ESTG, Health – ESSLei; in Caldas da Rainha: Arts and Design - ESAD.CR; in Peniche: Tourism and Maritime Technology - ESTM); in Marinha Grande (Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development – CDRSP) and a Training Center in Torres Vedras.

The Polytechnic of Leiria leads the Regional University Network European (RUN-EU) consortium under the European Universities initiative (Erasmus+). RUN-EU brings together higher education institutions from six countries (Austria, Finland, Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland and Portugal) that collaborate in the development of joint undergraduate degrees, masters and doctoral programs, as well as in the implementation of international cooperation projects in the research and development, with an impact on the economic and social development of the regions in which they are located.

With a growing activity in terms of research, the Polytechnic of Leiria has in its identity mark an ecosystem of research and innovation oriented towards the economic and social sector of the region where it is located. This R&D+i ecosystem includes, among others:

• 5 higher schools;
• 15 research units in areas such as: social and human sciences, engineering and exact sciences, natural and environmental sciences, and life and health sciences;
• 1 European University;
• 2 science and technology parks;
• 2 scientific infrastructures (CDRSP Building – Engineering and Biofabrication; CETEMARES Building – Science and Maritime Technology);
• 3 business incubators;
• 1 business school;
• 1 business association (NERLEI – Business Association of the Leiria Region);
• 1 technology center (CENTIMFE – Technological Center for the Moldmaking, Special Tooling and Plastic Industries);
• 1 technology park (OBITEC – Óbidos Technology Park);
• 4 collaborative laboratories (Smart Farm, Built Colab, S2AQUAcoLAB, Colab+Atlantic);
• 2 regional energy agencies (Alta Estremadura Regional Energy Agency; Oeste Regional Energy and Environment Agency);
• 1 living science center (Alviela Living Science Center – Carsoscope)
• 3 Innovation platforms (Leiria Social Innovation Hub, Health Innovation Hub and Leiria Digital Innovation Hub)
• 9 technology competitiveness clusters (Aeronautics, Space and Defense Cluster; Knowledge and Sea Economy Cluster; Agroindustrial Cluster; Automobile Cluster; Architecture, Engineering and Construction Cluster, Production Technologies Cluster; Engineering & Tooling Cluster; TICE.PT Cluster – Information, Technology, Communications and Electronics; and the Association of Mineral Resources of Portugal).

The Polytechnic of Leiria is geared towards applied research and the search for solutions to concrete problems of society and companies. The R&D units develop their activity in close connection with companies, through research, project development or the provision of services.