"Socio-territorial innovation is an area in which NOVA has decided to invest decisively. This is because there are many needs, vulnerabilities, and potentials of a social and territorial nature in Portuguese society today that require new visions, perspectives, and responses. Aspects to which universities can and should make an important contribution", stressed NOVA's Rector, João Sàágua, at the beginning of the conference "Society and Territory: Collaborative Dynamics for sustainable innovation", the first of the year at NOVA's Rectorate. NOVA, at the Campolide Campus, which took place this Tuesday, 16th. "We need to think seriously about new ways of living and working," he concluded, with the conviction that "it is through the transformation of cities that many of today's problems will be solved".
João Seixas, NOVA's Pro-Rector for Socio-territorial Innovation, stressed the importance of "developing skills to promote projects with a synergistic and more systemic impact". Some of the highlights of the day included the presentation of an integrated map of all NOVA activities in the field of social and territorial innovation, as well as innovative projects and training in the fields of housing, food or mobility. There is much more to come. "As NOVA wants to be a proactive agent in these issues, we start by finding out what the whole NOVA community is already doing, and then delve deeper into their respective capacities to leverage and collaborate, both internally and externally.
Before the parade of these good examples that already exist in the various academic units of NOVA, it was time to listen to Joan Subirats, professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and former Minister of Universities in the last government of Pedro Sanchez, talk about the experience of his city - and your university.
"We must always remember that our mission is to teach, but also to research and create value in society. Even if, at the end of the day, everyone understands the urgent need to continue funding universities". Knowing that "social and territorial time is different from university time", the bet, says Subirats, is to find "common areas of cooperation" - in the field of citizen science and public policy advice, for example - and to promote "the opening up of the campus to the community" by presenting itself as a "place of experimentation".
Good examples
Filipe Almeida, in charge of Portugal's Social Innovation Mission Structure 2030, was quick to recall how we were pioneers in Europe - "the first to have a public policy programme in the field of social innovation, created in 2014 and mandatory for all member states in Europe from 2020". And also how "everything is achieved through intersectoral partnerships". By making local authorities strategic partners, this network has already approved 694 innovation projects: "It is a small, quiet revolution that is taking place in the country".
The good examples of social and territorial innovation already existing in the NOVA community filled the rest of the afternoon. Vanda Soares, the assistant to João Seixas, Pro-Rector for Socio-Territorial Innovation, explained in more detail what the QA Accessible Rooms for University Students project will look like, which aims to "potentiate existing resources, promote sustainability and ensure positive social impact", publicly reflecting the civic and global character of NOVA.
Frederico Oliveira Pinto, from Nova SBE, presented the Inclusive Community Forum, a project dedicated to the lives of people with disabilities; Cecília Delgado, from NOVA FCSH, explained how "Awareness of Food Ecosystems in Local Communities" is being promoted; André Barriguinha, from NOVA IMS, detailed the contribution of "Data Science in Social and Territorial Innovation for a Sustainable Future", a flagship project of the NOVA Analytics Lab, which has won several awards.
Next, Ana Rodrigues, from NOVA Medical School, explained how the EpiDoC cohort project has sought to answer several health questions of the Portuguese population; then it was Louise Hoffmeister's turn, from ENSP NOVA, to talk about "Social Prescription" and the approach chosen to promote healthier, more cohesive and sustainable communities.
Júlia Seixas, Pro-Rector in charge of Sustainability, presented the first data from the NOVA Mobility Survey, coordinated in partnership with Francisco Ferreira, NOVA FCT, whose aim is to "get to know the University in aspects that we were not aware of before": that is, "to know the mobility patterns of the different campuses, with the aim of understanding and identifying options that are different from those that exist".
Finally, Renata Ramalho, from ITQB NOVA, spoke about the progress of the Open Science programme in Oeiras and the strategy defined until 2025 "to make Oeiras the capital of science and technology".
At the end of the conference, there was still time for a round table, which brought together Isabel Rocha, NOVA Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Value Creation, Inês Sequeira, Director of Casa do Impacto, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa and Isabel Gião de Andrade, Coordinating Partner of the Social Economy & Human Rights Practice Area, Vieira de Almeida Associados, to conclude that "the university cannot just be a place for sharing knowledge - it has to go further so that in the end there is a response of added value".
