AGRO-TECH: Investment in qualified jobs highlighted in EXPRESSO

Three institutions in agri-food, veterinary and forestry sectors, come together to create the AgroTech Oeiras Campus. Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier (ITQB NOVA) and Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV) have united in the first research and innovation ecosystem devoted to agri-food, veterinary and forestry – from the bench to the fields. The consortium is the largest in the country of its kind, and includes over 1.000 researchers. It will promote research and experimental development of agriculture and forestry, animal health and plant sanity and technology and inovation for bioeconomy. It will also support advanced and specialized training of researchers and technicians, namely in agro biotechnology, agro industry and forestry. AGRO-TECH Campus is the only of its kind in Portugal, with several National Reference Laboratories, focusing on fundamental and applied research. The Campus is based in Oeiras, where ITQB NOVA, INIAV and iBET have been doing excellent international research for many years. The challenge of hiring PhDs For the Board of Directors of iBET, this approach to employability is particularly relevant since "the Portuguese economy grew less in the capacity of utilization of science than the leap that science has had in Portugal over the last three decades." iBET currently employs 180 professionals, 40% of which are PhDs. Over the last 5 years has doubled the number of employees with direct link to the institutionand to keep up with the increased activity that IBET has been registering with relevant international players in the pharmaceutical industry.  The Board recognizes that there will be a gradual proximity of science to companies, but admits that it "will not be fast enough to employ the highly skilled labor created annually in Portugal." A route in which the AGROTECH can take an active role in the opinion of the director of the ITQB NOVA. At the end of last year, ITQB - a research unit of the NOVA University of Lisbon - had about 600 employees (135 are PhD researchers and 270 PhD students, and other professionals). In the specific case of ITQB it is not possible to talk about new direct jobs in the institute but acknowledges that the AGRO-TECH can have a positive impact on the creation of new highly skilled jobs. "Everything will depend on the funds injected by the State, which can leverage access to other competitive funding from companies, so we can continue our mission" and recalls that "companies have everything to gain by integrating PhDs in their teams." Nuno Canada, Director of INIAV, regrets the absence of a culture of appreciation and integration of PhDs in companies, which is still visible in Portugal and adds that "the consortium certainly will create jobs and retain professionals in the agri-food and forestry sector campus in Oeiras, including young doctorates in these fields of knowledge.  About AGRO-TECH