Collaborative Laboratories (CoLABs) are entities dedicated to the production, dissemination and transmission of knowledge by pursuing their own research and innovation agendas. Based on a portfolio of products or systems with higher added value, CoLABs aim to facilitate the access of companies to global markets through exports, as well as to support the attraction of foreign investment in technology-intensive areas.

CoLABs can be national, regional/local, or entrepreneurial, steering their activities to the creation of qualified employment and economic and social value in the intermediate space of the innovation system.

In Portugal, there are 35 entities recognised as Collaborative Laboratories:

Presentation Brochure

Get to know the Collaborative Laboratories (CoLAB)

See the 2023 CoLAB Annual Report:

RECOGNITION PROCESS

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) is the entity responsible for the process of recognition and award of the 'Collaborative Laboratory' title.

The CoLAB may be established as a company or private non-profit association and must include at least one company and one R&D unit evaluated and financed by the FCT or a State Laboratory.

In the context of the recognition process, it must be demonstrated that the CoLAB contributes to:

1. Stimulate the creation of qualified jobs that generate economic and social value in Portugal, including those aimed at innovation, so as to contribute towards increasing the competitiveness of the productive and social fabric, and of companies in particular.
2. Diversify, stimulate and coordinate activities based on scientific knowledge, promote technological change processes and the creation of short- and medium-term research and innovation agendas prompted by the identification of economic, social or cultural needs and challenges.
3. Promote the creation of critical mass to stimulate new centralities for R&D activities throughout the national territory, including less densely populated areas;
4. Build collectives that are facilitators of new knowledge co-creation, stimulating creativity and the production of such new knowledge, together with its dissemination throughout the territory, in partnership and networking with relevant stakeholders in those territories.

The recognition process is open on an ongoing basis.

MONITORING PROCESS

ANI is the entity that monitors the implementation of each CoLAB's research and innovation agenda, in accordance with the approved applications that supported the awarding of Collaborative Laboratory titles. In addition to monitoring each CoLAB's performance, this monitoring process promotes the creation of synergies and the integration of CoLABs into national and international networks, with the participation of a panel of independent experts, of renowned international merit, who monitor the activities of each CoLAB.

1^st Monitoring Report (2020)

2^nd Monitoring Report (2021)

3rd Monitoring Report (2022)

FUNDING PROCESS

ANI is dedicated to monitoring the CoLABs public core funding processes, promoting, in accordance with the monitoring process implemented in the meantime, qualification, equipment modernisation, integration in national and international networks and platforms, technical training of assets, and the direct and indirect creation of qualified jobs.