At HiSeedTech, we are proud to announce the 11 research teams selected for HiTech 2026, our flagship programme dedicated to transforming deep-tech research into market-ready solutions.

These teams bring together 43 researchers — 19 women and 24 men — from leading Portuguese institutions, representing a wide range of scientific expertise and technological domains.

From advanced healthcare platforms and sustainable materials to renewable energy, nanotechnology and industrial decision-support systems, the selected projects reflect the diversity and strength of Portugal’s research ecosystem.

Over the next 18 weeks, these teams will embark on a transformative journey to validate the market relevance of their technologies and build robust business cases.

Meet the selected teams:

Technology Push Track

In the Technology Push Track, seven teams will develop their own deep-tech projects, exploring market applications and structuring viable commercial pathways for products, processes, or services emerging from their technologies.

1. Circle
Institution: University of Aveiro
Team: Bruno Godinho, Nuno Gama
Reuse of polyurethane (PU) waste from the foam industry to produce sustainable adhesives for the textile sector.

2. FlexForge – Flexible Electronics Innovation Platform
Institution: NOVA School of Science and Technology
Team: Ângelo Santos, Emanuel Carlos, Maria Pereira, Pedro Barquinha, Sara Silvestre
A modular innovation platform that transforms flexible electronics development into a fast, reusable and scalable prototyping ecosystem, enabling teams to move from idea to functional prototype in days instead of months.

3. Glioblastoma 3D model as a new in vitro platform for brain drug
Institution: i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde
Team: Ana Olival, Cecília Ferreira, Cláudia Martins, Diana Ribeiro
A novel 3D in vitro platform designed to accelerate drug development for glioblastoma. By improving predictive accuracy in early testing stages, this technology aims to reduce late-stage failures, lower costs and shorten time-to-market for life-saving treatments.

4. NEXUS – Nonstop ECMO eXchange Upgrade Systems
Institutions: Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto; Coimbra Hospital and University Centre (CHUC)
Team: Gustavo Mendes, Inês Lourenço, Ricardo Balixa da Rosa
An innovative system designed to improve ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) procedures, enhancing safety and continuity of care for critically ill patients..

5. PetriTag®
Institution: Alma Science
Team: Bruna Ramos, Bruno Veigas, João Resende, Mafalda Pereira, Tomás Pires
A portable, paper-based microbiological screening label enabling rapid, on-site microbial assessment across the food supply chain, improving safety and traceability.

6. SPARCS
Institution: NOVA School of Science and Technology
Team: António Vicente, Manuel Mendes, Rui Gonçalves
A modular, portable solar energy system that allows users to build, adapt, and scale solar power exactly to their needs, wherever they are.

7. Y-Sense
Institution: CICECO, University of Aveiro
Team: Bernardo Tavares, Lucas Pereira, Maria Simone Soares
A portable, low-cost biosensor platform for the rapid detection of dangerous bacteria in water, initially targeting Salmonella and Legionella, with applications in environmental monitoring and public health.

Market Pull Track

In the Market Pull Track, four teams will address real-world challenges posed by HiSeedTech member companies - Sogrape, Sonae Arauco, and Quantum Leap. These teams will apply their cutting-edge research to create solutions that tackle pressing market needs.

1. Predictive models for grape oenological potential
Institution: INESC TEC and Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto (FEUP)
Team: José Paulos, Manuel Faria Ferreira, Mário Cunha, Pedro Macedo, Rute Palhau
A decision-support framework designed to determine optimal harvest timing by anticipating grape quality and yield under increasing climatic uncertainty.

2. PEROVFlex
Institution: Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto (FEUP)
Team: Andres Soto, Joana Príncipe, Luísa Andrade, Luís Santos, Vera Duarte
Perovskite solar cells fabricated on both flexible and rigid substrates, enabling integration into a wide range of surfaces and next-generation products.

3. OBSIDIAN - Optimizing blackening of wood by magnetic assisted pigmentation and infiltration
Institution: CICECO, University of Aveiro
Team: Bernardo Norte, Cláudia Lopes, Tito Trindade
A wood finishing strategy based on black pigment formulation and magnetically assisted pigmentation, enabling advanced and uniform black coloration of wood-based materials

4. Deep, Durable Colouring of MDF via MOF Technology
Institution: INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory
Team: Catarina Gomes, João Restivo, Juliana Sousa, Soraia Fernandes, Tânia Grainha
An innovative approach to MDF colouring using metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), hybrid materials offering exceptional chemical stability, structural tunability and functional versatility for sustainable and durable colouring solutions.

Over the next 18 weeks, these teams will engage in a dynamic mix of online tutorials, webinars, mentorship, advisory sessions, pitch presentations and networking opportunities.

The programme is structured to provide hands-on experience and equip participants with the commercialisation skills required to bring their research from the laboratory to the market.

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