Ricardo R. Santos (ISAMB/TERRA) questions the future of science and innovation in Portugal
In an article published in Público, Ricardo R. Santos (ISAMB/TERRA) questions the impacts of the merger between FCT and ANI and points out the structural challenges of national science policy.
Ricardo R. Santos, researcher at the Instituto de Saúde Ambiental (ISAMB) and member of the TERRA Associated Laboratory, recently published an opinion piece in the Público newspaper entitled “Ciência e inovação: menos com menos dá mais?” (“Science and innovation: does less with less give more?“, in which he reflects on the possible merger of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the ANI – Agência Nacional de Inovação.
In the text, the researcher warns of the multiple weaknesses of the national scientific structure, which he considers to be operating in “survival mode,” subject to internal and external threats. Regarding the announced merger between FCT and ANI, he emphasizes that public debate has been marked by self-censorship and fears.
Ricardo R. Santos (ISAMB/TERRA) acknowledges that some see this merger as an opportunity to correct structural flaws in both entities, but questions whether there will be any real gains, citing the example of the merger between the Universidade de Lisboa and the Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, the results of which remain unclear. The researcher also points out that some believe that science should always translate into immediate applications, such as patents, startups, or spinoffs.
This article comes at a time when TERRA has been closely monitoring changes in national science policy. Back in August, several members of the Associate Laboratory publicly reacted to the abolition of the FCT, warning of the risks and challenges of this institutional transformation. The news can be found here.
Article published (in Portuguese) in the November 8, 2025 print edition of Público and online here publico.pt/2025/11/08/ciencia/opiniao/ciencia-inovacao-menos-menos (access to the article is exclusive to subscribers).
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