The CLEVER project held a presentation event featuring a discussion on R&D and innovation needs for the digital and sustainable transformation of industry in the Northern Region

The CLEVER project will drive the PREI-ISAF forward, acting as a liaison mechanism between companies, technology centres, universities, associations and public bodies, helping to translate the industry’s real needs into investment priorities, demonstration projects and recommendations for public policies and support instruments.

The aim of this session was to present the project, its governance model and activity plan, but above all to create a forum for consultation and debate with the industrial ecosystem on regional R&D and innovation needs for the digital and sustainable transformation of industry.

The session opened with a speech by Cláudia Cristóvão, Director-General of PIEP, followed by a brief address by Raquel Meira, from CCDR NORTE, who outlined the relevance of the PREIs within the context of the Regional Strategy for Smart Specialisation. Subsequently, Paulo Santos, Head of the Strategic Planning and Regional Development Division at CCDR NORTE, explored the role of the PREIs in the governance of S3 NORTE 2027, in coordinating the ecosystem and in preparing for the next strategic cycle.

Pedro Mimoso, Business Development Director at PIEP, presented the CLEVER project, its objectives, governance model and activity plan. Flavia Barbosa, Research Coordinator at INEGI driving science & innovation, presented the ongoing strategic study, which focuses on diagnosis, competitiveness and the definition of roadmaps for industrial transformation.

The panel discussion featured highly relevant contributions from organisations and companies with strong links to industry and innovation, including Manuela Azevedo, R&D +I Project Manager at PRODUTECH; Pedro Alexandre Silva Vieira, Research & Development Director at Amtrol-Alfa; Eduarda Silva, Head of Technology Development – Passenger & Light Truck Tyres (PLT), Continental Solutions Centre, and Joel Alves, from SENTINEL.

The CLEVER project is co-funded by the 2021–2027 Northern Regional Programme (NORTE2030).