TEMA secures €1.46 million for new state-of-the-art scientific infrastructures

TEMA – Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation at the University of Aveiro (UA) has secured approval for the TEMA TEchBoost: Modernisation and Technological Capacity Building project, obtaining €1.46 million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).

Coordinated by TEMA, the project represents a total investment of €1.72 million and will strengthen the University of Aveiro’s technological capabilities in strategic areas including engineering, materials science, healthcare, energy, and the digital transformation of industry.

The initiative includes the acquisition of an advanced ultra-high-resolution nano-computed tomography (nano-CT) system, capable of non-destructively analysing internal structures ranging from industrial components and manufactured parts to biological samples. The system will enable the visualisation and quantification of three-dimensional features with an unprecedented level of detail. The project also encompasses the creation of HPC-Mech, a new high-performance computing infrastructure dedicated to advanced simulation, artificial intelligence, and the development of digital twins—virtual replicas of products, equipment, or processes that enable the testing of solutions, prediction of behaviour, and optimisation of performance before real-world implementation.

Through these new infrastructures, the University of Aveiro will gain scientific capabilities that are currently unavailable or only very limited in Portugal, further strengthening its position as a national reference institution in these fields.

According to Paula Marques, Coordinator of TEMA, the approval of the project represents “an important step forward” for both the research unit and the University of Aveiro itself.

“This investment will strengthen key scientific capabilities, create better conditions for delivering excellent research, deepen collaboration with industry, and address emerging scientific and technological challenges. It is a significant milestone in a long-term strategy that we have been consistently developing over the years.”

Advancing Research Excellence

One of the most distinctive aspects of the proposal was the investment-definition process, led by TEMA. Prior to submitting the application, TEMA conducted a structured Entrepreneurial Discovery Process, engaging companies from Portugal’s Central Region to identify technological challenges and concrete industrial needs.

Organisations involved in this process included Bosch, Bondalti, Kirchhoff Automotive, Valmet, Egitron, TEKA Portugal, Vista Alegre Atlantis, COFICAB, Wiseware, Metatissue, Bi-Silque, ISOLUSA, Ifermol, and Prirev, among others.

This collaborative approach ensured that the planned investments were closely aligned with industry requirements, strengthening the connection between the research carried out at TEMA and its transfer to the industrial sector.

The new infrastructures are expected to accelerate the development of innovative products and technologies, support industrial innovation, enhance knowledge transfer, attract highly qualified talent, and increase the competitiveness of the University of Aveiro in securing both national and European research projects.

Founded in 1996, TEMA is the leading research unit of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Aveiro. Awarded the highest classification in the most recent evaluation by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), TEMA was the top-rated unit within its respective international evaluation panel. It is included in the Portuguese National Roadmap of Research Infrastructures and brings together approximately 150 researchers across 23 laboratories.

With the approval of the TEMA TEchBoost project, TEMA further strengthens its capacity to conduct world-class research and consolidates its close relationship with industry, contributing to the recognition of the University of Aveiro as a national benchmark in engineering, materials science, and digital transformation.