University of Coimbra partners with the 18th COTEC Europe Summit
The two-day event placed Coimbra at the heart of European economic and political debate.
Held under the theme “A Call to Action”, the 18th COTEC Europe Summit brought together business leaders, academics and policymakers on 13 and 14 May at the Convento de São Francisco and the Colégio da Trindade to discuss competitiveness and economic growth.
Opening the second day, the Mayor of Coimbra, José Manuel Silva, highlighted the summit’s proactive spirit. The Rector of the University of Coimbra (UC), Amílcar Falcão, took part in the panel “The Entrepreneurial University and its Role in Turning Knowledge into Value”, emphasising UC’s innovation strategy and its leading role in securing European research funding. He noted that the University has already secured over €65 million under the current Horizon Europe framework, aiming to double its research funding.
The summit was organised by the University of Coimbra (UC) in partnership with Coimbra City Council, Turismo de Portugal, the Coimbra Intermunicipal Community and Banco BPI. The heads of state of Portugal, Spain and Italy attended the closing session. The Italian President, Sergio Mattarella, praised the summit for addressing key issues for Europe and the global community. Meanwhile, King Felipe VI of Spain highlighted two decades of collaboration between the COTEC organisations of the three countries. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa warned of Europe’s loss of time and initiative in light of the 'American shock' resulting from the November 2024 election.
On 13 May, the agenda focused on Industrial Partnerships, particularly in the fields of Space and Defence, Health and Life Sciences, Semiconductors, High-Performance Computing and Artificial Intelligence. Participants also attended a concert by the “100 Paredes” project, celebrating the centenary of guitarist Carlos Paredes.
COTEC Portugal is the country’s leading business association for the promotion of innovation and technological cooperation, with sister organisations in Spain and Italy.