Centro de Inteligência Artificial (CENTRIA)
Its current goals of can be divided in three main areas:
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Logic Programming and its application to Knowledge Representation and Reasoning;
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Intelligent Information Systems, covering topics from semantic web definition to natural language and information retrieval from intelligent Information systems;
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Soft Computing and Constraints, including Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Bioinformatics.
Besides the research efforts implied by our goals, current CENTRIA activities involve education, such as the European MSc in Computational Logic (2004, and ongoing), and interdisciplinary research collaborations, such as the BIOINFO proposal for positions in a project involving Informatics, Structural Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, Materials Science and Physics and the GEOINFO proposal for the development of techniques to analyze oceanic mesoscale phenomena. CENTRIA is also presenting an Associate Laboratory proposal.
Centro de Informática e Tecnologias da Informação (CITI)
Its mission is to promote basic and applied research in Computer Science and Informatics. The CITI research team is currently composed by more than 50 researchers, of which around 40 are PhD holders. While the vast majority of its members are FCT/UNL faculty, CITI has also acted as an attraction pole for researchers from nearby universities. The centre has been (2004) rated “very good” in the evaluations organized by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, and was by then considered by the referees as the research unit, among those assessed, that featured a more intense feeling of community.
The research directions at CITI cover a wide spectrum of themes, ranging from the foundations and models, programming languages and software architectures, to parallel and distributed computing systems, multimedia, graphics, interaction, and human language technologies and tools. Such a broad coverage of scientific themes, in close connection with the graduate and undergraduate teaching mission of our host Department of Informatics is a distinctive aspect of CITI.
Regarding graduate activities, CITI members participate in the MSc and PhD programs of the Department of Informatics/FCT/UNL, as well as the Dual Degree PhD Program in Computer Science (Carnegie-Mellon University/UNL). A new joint PhD program in Digital Media is being prepared in collaboration with University of Texas - Austin.
Centro de Tecnologia e Sistemas (CTS)
CTS aims to develop research recognized at international level in all the research lines and groups. The centre encourages technology transfer mostly supported by spin offs and deep involvement in international R&D projects. Scientific results are expected to contribute to improve the graduate training in the academia and contribute to internationalization of our graduate students. We participated in about 400 specific international actions as joint papers, international events organization, etc. This effort will be intensified.
Research lines and research groups have different levels of scientific and organizational development. They still operate mostly isolated from each other but with strong international links. Existing potential, as cross cooperation examples shows, anticipates the possibility of stronger in house integration and creation of scientific synergetic valor.
For microelectronics the objective besides the recent integration of new skills on materials and processes, is to embrace microelectronics (analogue and digital), telecommunications and signal processing and to make directly technology available (materials and circuits) for further developments. Hosted activities are planned to incrementally contribute to integration of research. A bridge to power circuits development was established.
Motivation supported by recent development after two years of careful preparation (under Galileo project, the EU alternative to GNSS, with ESA and CAST, the Chinese Space Agency) is to promote joint research activities in microelectronics, telecommunication and signal processing backed by UNINOVA, FCT/UNL and several aerospace Chinese Institutes. Plans to foster PhD and MSc thesis are consistent with the recent signed protocol relative to the graduating training of Portuguese engineers for activities in Galileo ground segment.
The research line on Computational Intelligence, Decision, Modeling and Control has a strong interface with space activities and with astrophysics (projects GAIA- mapping of the galaxy and Solar information system). Also post-docs involved in data mining and knowledge discovering are meant to contribute to that research. Cooperative links have a chance to develop within the microelectronics/telecommunications merge, mainly at graduation level (new foreign PhD students). Intelligent control deals with the development of advanced control algorithms for distributed parameter systems, that is, systems modelled by partial differential equations addressing transport phenomena. An interface with space related activities is expected to occur.
Research on Collaborative Networks, hopes to contribute to establishing the topic as a scientific discipline, targeting two new domains at model formalization level: telecommunications and energy. Reference curriculum for education in CN and launching of the SOCOLNET will be pursued. The objective is the continuous reinforcement of the group reputation, strengthening it as a world reference but also to bridge activities with the two identified fields.
Concerning Interoperability, dynamic evolution of systems based on models supported by standards creates a challenge, how can interconnectivity be updated automatically still assuring conformance of information. Also research on distributed interoperable context-aware-service architectures will benefit from previous developments. Building & Construction, furniture, telecommunications and aero spatial industry will continue to be our target domains. Besides the economical, industrial and societal impact we want to continue contributing to establish a more solid and rigorous base of science in those domains of research.
Unidade de Biotecnologia Ambiental (UBiA)
Research interests are in the field of Environmental Biotechnology. UBiA is active in complementary research areas, namely on Bioenergy and Food Safety/Quality areas. These areas are EU priority areas (7th Framework Programme) and are crucial for the Portuguese economical development:
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Food Technology, Safety and Quality – research subjects such as Food Toxicology, Nutritional Characterization of Food Stuffs, Food Microbiology, Plant Metabolism, Plant Physiology and Aquaculture;
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Bioenergy and Biomass – research subjects on Energetic Crops, Characterization of Biomass, Production of Biofuels (biofuel and biogas) from agroindustrial or forestry wastes;
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Environmental Control – research subjects on Water Quality, Bioremediation (contaminated water or soil), Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology, Waste Management and Valorisation.
Centro de Investigação em Estruturas e Construção (UNIC)
UNIC focus its investigation activities on a well-defined selection of areas of key importance in Civil Engineering associated with the experience and knowledge of its members, namely:
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Computational mechanics;
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Parallel computing in structural mechanics;
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Dynamics of structures;
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Soil-structure interaction;
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High-speed railway infrastructures;
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Use of fibre reinforced polymers for structural strengthening, retrofitting and repair;
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Durability and ageing of concrete and composite materials;
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Pre-cast concrete structures;
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Mortar characterization and performance;
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Monitoring, conservation and rehabilitation of buildings and historical constructions;
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Hygro-thermal performance of construction elements;
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Regional and urban planning.
Research on these topics has been conducted aiming to achieve internationalization, relevance, interdisciplinarity, productivity and training of young researchers.
Unidade de Investigação em Engenharia Mecânica e Industrial (UNIDEMI)
UNIDEMI aims to develop high-level research with the objective of stimulating the research work and the scientific publication, to develop advanced training programmes and to render services in the various fields of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, namely in the areas of Product and Process Development, Manufacturing Technology and Production Strategies.
The main research activity can be specified as:
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Product Development;
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Process Development;
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Manufacturing Systems and Strategies.