World Water Day | 22nd March, 2023

INL highlights the impact of research on our daily lives at the European Researchers’ Night 2022

The last Friday of September 2022 marked the return of the European Researchers’ Night — the annual celebration of innovative research taking place simultaneously in more than 30 countries and 300 cities throughout Europe.

The diverse programme included games, hands-on activities, a photo booth, and the ERN2022 Photo Exhibition. We learned about biosensors, explored the world of microchips, showcased how we are fighting water pollution, illustrated how fluids work at different scales and shared the passion and the special work MISSION NERD is developing by spreading scientific knowledge to the community.

These were just a few of the possible applications that International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), and ECUM – University of Minho many other partners introduced to more than 1300 visitors 2022 European Researchers’ Night, at Altice Fórum Braga.

The audience defied all researchers with relevant questions and expressed genuine wonder as they saw “magic” happening before their eyes.

This year, ‘Science for Everyone – Sustainability and Inclusion’ was the motto that framed an event committed to raise awareness about the role of science in achieving sustainability and inclusion goals among school students and different audiences, while identifying key societal concerns about climate change and sustainable growth and linking them to science-oriented solutions and proposals.

This European project consortium includes as partners the National Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Lisbon, the Nova School of Sciences and Technology of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, the Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, the Municipality of Lisbon, the Estoril School of Hospitality and Tourism, the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, the School of Sciences of the University of Minho, the University of Évora, and the University of Coimbra.

INL highlights the impact of research on our daily lives at the European Researchers’ Night 2022

The last Friday of September 2022 marked the return of the European Researchers’ Night — the annual celebration of innovative research taking place simultaneously in more than 30 countries and 300 cities throughout Europe.

The diverse programme included games, hands-on activities, a photo booth, and the ERN2022 Photo Exhibition. We learned about biosensors, explored the world of microchips, showcased how we are fighting water pollution, illustrated how fluids work at different scales and shared the passion and the special work MISSION NERD is developing by spreading scientific knowledge to the community.

These were just a few of the possible applications that International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), and ECUM – University of Minho many other partners introduced to more than 1300 visitors 2022 European Researchers’ Night, at Altice Fórum Braga.

The audience defied all researchers with relevant questions and expressed genuine wonder as they saw “magic” happening before their eyes.

This year, ‘Science for Everyone – Sustainability and Inclusion’ was the motto that framed an event committed to raise awareness about the role of science in achieving sustainability and inclusion goals among school students and different audiences, while identifying key societal concerns about climate change and sustainable growth and linking them to science-oriented solutions and proposals.

This European project consortium includes as partners the National Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Lisbon, the Nova School of Sciences and Technology of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, the Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, the Municipality of Lisbon, the Estoril School of Hospitality and Tourism, the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, the School of Sciences of the University of Minho, the University of Évora, and the University of Coimbra.

European Researchers’ Night returns next week to Braga

The European Researchers’ Night 2022 (ERN 2022) will be back in Portugal, next week, with the theme “Science for All (SCIEVER) – Inclusion and Sustainability”, within a national consortium coordinated by the University of Lisbon, through the National Museum of Natural History and Science (MUHNAC), which also integrates the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, and the School of Sciences of the University of Minho.

The initiative will take place on September 30th, between 4 pm and midnight, with a national online program and local activities in Braga, Coimbra, Lisbon and Évora.

The theme of the European Researchers’ Night 2022 – ‘SCIEVER’ – will contribute simultaneously to two main objectives: (i) improving the understanding of the importance of scientific careers development and science investments; (ii) increasing researchers’ understanding of the role of society as a whole for sustainable science policies development.

The goal of our consortium is to directly respond to Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) goals of the EU framework program by raising public awareness, also among school communities, about the relevance of science to assure resources preservation, decarbonization and inclusion and by bridging the gap between scientists and society, giving researchers the opportunity to perceive the main concerns of citizens and how those see and understand their work. Schools and their students will be involved in activities during the whole project, in order to ensure the impact of such communities.

The European project consortium includes as partners the National Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Lisbon, the Nova School of Sciences and Technology of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, the Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, the Municipality of Lisbon, the Estoril School of Hospitality and Tourism, the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, the School of Sciences of the University of Minho, the University of Évora, and the University of Coimbra.

Join us, at Altice Fórum Braga, next week! It will be fun!

Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Professor Elvira Fortunato, and the Minister of Science and Innovation of Spain, Diana Morant visit INL

Today the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, received the visit of the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Professor Elvira Fortunato, and the Minister of Science and Innovation of Spain, Diana Morant.

“Strengthening Portugal-Spain collaboration through Science is strategic for our countries”, stated Elvira Fortunato and Diana Morant after the bilateral meeting in which the Ministers of Portugal and Spain discussed the strengthening of scientific relations between the two countries.

The Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal welcomed the relationship maintained with the neighbouring country: “What unites us is not only the geographical proximity but also the proximity of positions», namely in science and innovation”.

The bilateral meeting took place within the framework of the visit of the Minister of Science and Innovation of Spain for a set of initiatives aimed at strengthening relations between Portugal and Spain.

The agenda was INL’s visit, the memorandum of understanding about the Atlantic Constellation and the Iberian Energy Storage Center in Cáceres, and the development of lines of collaboration regarding the Chips Act.

The Iberian Center for Research and Energy Storage is also based on cooperation between Portugal, Spain and the European Commission and aims to develop research and technologies for storing, managing and transporting energy produced by renewable sources.

EC funding approves a project of INL – FoQaCiA “Foundations of quantum computational advantage”

The EC funding approved a project of INL – FoQaCiA “Foundations of quantum computational advantage” within the Digital Horizon Europe calls: DATA, DIGITAL-EMERGING and HUMAN (HORIZON-CL4-2021-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-23).

FoQaCiA focuses on expanding the theoretical basis for the design of quantum algorithms. The success of quantum computing critically depends on advances at the most fundamental level. Large-scale investment in quantum implementations will only pay off if they can draw on additional foundational insights and ideas. While several powerful quantum algorithms are known, the basic techniques are few and far between. Largely, it remains to be discovered how to harness the quantum for computation systematically. 

Researchers will study four areas of quantum phenomenology:

1. Quantum contextuality, non-classicality, and quantum advantage;

2. The complexity of classical simulation of quantum computation;

3. Arithmetic of quantum circuits;

4. The efficiency of fault-tolerant quantum computation.

These fields are chosen for two reasons. First, their progress is of great importance for the physical realisation and the broad applicability of quantum computation. Regarding (1), one of the most straightforward proofs of quantum contextuality, Mermin’s star, has recently been employed to prove (Bravyi, Gosset, König) that bounded-depth quantum circuits are more powerful than their classical analogues. We seek to expand this result beyond bounded depth. In (2), we study the quantum speedup by shaving off the redundant part – the efficiently classically simulable. In (3), we aim to provide more efficient gate and circuit synthesis techniques, utilising the number-theoretic underpinnings of the problem. Regarding (4), given the celebrated threshold theorem, and the fact that the error threshold is now known to be within reach of the experiment, researchers will tackle the remaining challenge of reducing the cost of fault tolerance.

The second reason for selecting the above work areas is to mine them for foundational quantum mechanical structures and find related quantum algorithmic uses.

The project has 11 partners, 7 in Europe (including Turkey and UK) and 4 in Canada. It was a specific call for collaborative projects between Europe and Canada in quantum computation. 

If you want to know more about the project, please contact Ernesto Galvão, Group Leader of Quantum and Linear-Optical Computation, INL.

Participating institutions

1. (Coordinator) International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) Portugal

2. Stockholms Universitet (STU) Sweden

3. Universidad de Sevilla (USE) Spain

4. Universidad de Granada (UGR) Spain

5. Bilkent Universitesi (BKU) Turkey

6. University College London (UCL) United Kingdom

7. Uniwersytet Gda´nski (UGD) Poland

8. University of British Columbia (UBC) Canada

9. Simon Fraser University (SFU) Canada

10. University of Ottawa (UOT) Canada

11. University of Waterloo (UWA) Canada

“Give peace a chance!” message from INL Director-General Lars Montelius

Science has proven to act as a platform for dialogue even in times of war. Science has no borders. Science unites people. We at INL continue to embrace and promote scientific collaboration across the world as a driver for peace. These statements are so clear – and so obvious.

At this moment, our thoughts – all our thoughts – are directed towards those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine: the people who suffer – whether being still in Ukraine or not – and to their families and friends worldwide. We extend our deepest sympathy and solidarity at this difficult time to those fighting, being injured or losing their lives while we speak.

Our thoughts – all our thoughts – go to our members of staff, students, associates, and friends from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. They are the most affected ones. But all of us INLers – united for the cause to contribute to societal development – we are all united – united in condemning the invasion of Ukraine.

Without diminishing the war in Ukraine, we also recognize that the war in Europe has more dimensions and more frontiers. Some being fought by weapons and some being fought by other means, threatening democracy, free rights and equality principles – in short, threatening our ethical values and our concerns for other people. And even in these difficult times, we must remember other large challenges ahead of us. We INLers – and all people on earth – need to work side by side and meet these challenges – united and strong.

We hope for a soon ending of the war in Ukraine, an ending that will allow the Ukrainian people to express their rights to decide by themselves on their future. An ending that does not bring death, injury and destruction to any other people.

Science has proven to act as a platform for dialogue even in times of war. Science has no borders. Science unites people. We at INL continue to embrace and promote scientific collaboration across the world as a driver for peace. These statements are so clear – and so obvious.

At this moment, our thoughts – all our thoughts – are directed towards those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine: the people who suffer – whether being still in Ukraine or not – and to their families and friends worldwide. We extend our deepest sympathy and solidarity at this difficult time to those fighting, being injured or losing their lives while we speak.

Our thoughts – all our thoughts – go to our members of staff, students, associates, and friends from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. They are the most affected ones. But all of us INLers – united for the cause to contribute to societal development – we are all united – united in condemning the invasion of Ukraine.

Without diminishing the war in Ukraine, we also recognize that the war in Europe has more dimensions and more frontiers. Some being fought by weapons and some being fought by other means, threatening democracy, free rights and equality principles – in short, threatening our ethical values and our concerns for other people. And even in these difficult times, we must remember other large challenges ahead of us. We INLers – and all people on earth – need to work side by side and meet these challenges – united and strong.

We hope for a soon ending of the war in Ukraine, an ending that will allow the Ukrainian people to express their rights to decide by themselves on their future. An ending that does not bring death, injury and destruction to any other people.