University of Coimbra Helping HQA® Program Thrive
When the University of Coimbra (UC) and Empowered Startups signed an HQA® Program agreement early in 2024, the…

When the University of Coimbra (UC) and Empowered Startups signed an HQA® Program agreement early in 2024, the Rector of the prestigious Portuguese institution, Amilcar Falcão, was not shy in revealing his optimism for the partnership’s potential.
“The agreement we are now signing with Empowered Startups is another contribution to fulfilling in the best way one of the pillars of the University of Coimbra’s mission: the transfer of knowledge to society,” he stated. “We are a leading university, with a high number of patents and many projects capable of creating value. And I believe that this partnership can bring very positive results for all parties.”
Twelve months later, Falcão’s words have proven prophetic.
Productive Partnership
With two more accomplished entrepreneurs recently signing R&D project agreements at UC, the university has now launched six such projects over the past three months via the HQA® Program. Not only do these latest projects continue the established momentum of project signings at UC, but they also expand the spectrum of sectors the research aims to serve.
“The first year of our partnership with the University of Coimbra has exceeded our expectations in many regards,” declared Chris Lennon, President of Empowered Startups. “We were very confident the accomplished entrepreneurs we work with would recognize the value of working with UC, and they have. But it’s the university’s initiative and support in helping us grow the HQA® Program that has been even more impressive. Our colleagues in Coimbra see the multitude of benefits the HQA® Program will deliver to Portugal for years to come, and they have taken tangible actions to proliferate that message to an extensive group of stakeholders.”

Widespread Innovation
Having already announced innovative projects in the areas of sustainability, women’s health, societal development, and architecture, the most recent projects are focused on advancing fintech and human-computer interaction, respectively.
The former seeks to enable small and medium-sized businesses (SMB’s) to secure real-time payments and banking solutions, as less than 10% of the world’s 180 million SMB’s can currently accept digital payments.

The latter project plans to improve human-computer interaction by expanding the types of interfaces that users may engage with. While current technology is focused on visual interaction, this project will explore the integration of auditory, gestural, and olfactory inputs to provide a more immersive and intuitive user experience for the next generation of consumer wearable devices.
Upcoming Event
As the Canadian multinational and Portuguese university continue to engage stakeholders from various sectors, the proud partners will co-host a highly anticipated event in Coimbra on February 26th. Entitled “International Talents for Innovation”, the day-long event will feature government representatives, international entrepreneurs, university officials, and members of Portugal’s startup ecosystem offering thought leadership and participating in compelling discussions on innovative technology, international collaboration, and economic development in Portugal.
Learn more about the HQA® Program