Instituto Pedro Nunes is a non-profit private organization founded in 1991. IPN promotes innovation and technology transfer, being the main link between the University of Coimbra and the business sector. IPN has currently a team of almost 100 permanent staff to support startups and researchers in these activities. With a self-sustained business model, IPN operates in three complementary areas:
1. Incubation and acceleration of technology-based enterprises;
2. Research and technological development;
3. Highly specialized training.
Incubation and acceleration of technology-based enterprises activities:
IPN helps startups with technical guidance in the establishment and early stages of business development. It has 6.200 m2 for business incubation and acceleration space installations and IPN-Incubator won in 2010 the 1st place in the world award for "Best Science-Based Incubator”. The figures that made this result possible are the following:
Total firms supported: >380 (since 1996)
% of firms in activity: > 70%
Annual aggregated turnover of incubated firms (2019): > 222 million euros
Export > 66,7%
Job creation: > 3,250 jobs (direct and highly qualified)
Research and technological development:
Since IPN’s creation, the activity of technology transfer has been quite diversified, having participated in more than 200 RTD projects in consortia or by contract, carried out some tens of technology transfer contracts, some of those outputting patented products, for a group of more than 200 companies. IPN’s technological infrastructure includes a set of 6 laboratories in diversified technological areas, namely:
LIS — Laboratory for Informatics and Systems
LAS — Laboratory for Automation and Systems
LED&MAT — Laboratory for Wear, Testing & Materials
LEC — Laboratory for Electroanalysis and Corrosion
LABGEO — Laboratory for Geotechnics
FITOLAB — Laboratory for Phytopathology
