How can doctoral research benefit from a continuous connection to companies without losing scientific rigour? What additional value does a doctoral programme developed outside a purely academic context provide? These were some of the topics covered during the session D100–E100 “Doctoral Programmes in a business environment”, promoted by the Técnico Doctoral School in partnership with COTEC Portugal, on January 27, 2026.
Three years after the launch of the D100-E-100 initiative, this meeting brought together representatives from academia, the business sector, and funding entities to discuss doctoral models developed in non-academic environments, in a “context where the creation and application of knowledge require increasingly close coordination between universities, companies, and public policies”, as stated by Jorge Portugal, General Manager at COTEC Portugal and Técnico alumnus, who moderated the session. “Investing in human capital and building structural bridges is the way for companies and academia to prosper together”, he said, emphasising the role of PhDs as liaison agents.
The framework of the Doctoral School’s activities was presented by Leonel Sousa, coordinator of the Técnico Doctoral School, who highlighted the scale and diversity of doctoral training, which currently has around 1,100 doctoral students. “When we analyse the curriculum and its structure, we realise that the connection with companies is fundamental, starting with the definition of research problems and goals”, he argued. According to the professor, integrating internships in non-academic settings into the curriculum and allowing for flexible training models facilitate the relationship between fundamental research and practical application. “Business experience adds scientific value and creates a virtuous circle”, he said, pointing out that the ambition is that, within five years, around half of Técnico’s doctoral students will carry out their work in a non-academic context.
João Ménagé Santos, who holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Técnico, shared his experience working at Hovione, a pharmaceutical development and manufacturing company. The alumnus highlighted the importance of the dual supervision model. “Having two supervisors, one academic and one from the business world, with clear and complementary roles, was a great advantage”, he said. Proximity to reality was also one of the main differentiating factors: “Working with real data, and addressing concrete challenges faced by the company, along with direct contact with stakeholders, changes the research process”. The choice of this model resulted from an interest in research and the creation of new knowledge, combined with a desire to apply the scientific method to concrete challenges. “It is an excellent complement for those who want to take the next step and bring research closer to the real world”, he concluded.
On the business side, Pedro Bizarro, Chief Science Officer at Feedzai, a member of the Técnico Partner Network, focused his speech on transforming scientific knowledge into value. “The primary outcome of a Doctoral Programme is the PhD holder itself”, he said. “The ability to test hypotheses, explain results and deal with uncertainty, demonstrate resilience, critical thinking, and mastery of the ‘state of the art’ are fundamental skills”, he listed, also defending the need to “make science more attractive and understandable in different contexts”.
Madalena Alves, President of the Board of Directors of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) and a Técnico alumna, discussed the funding perspective, framing scholarships in non-academic environments as tools for supporting advanced training. “These scholarships aim to support training paths, not just projects”, she explained, acknowledging that there is still room for improvement. “We seek to increase the number of opportunities and strengthen the link between companies and academia”, she added.
Francisco Santos, a professor at Técnico and vice-rector of Universidade de Lisboa, emphasised the complementarity of different educational models. “A doctorate programme in a non-academic environment is neither better nor worse than one in an academic setting; it simply offers a different value proposition”, he stated. He also advocated for a “rethinking of the funding for higher education institutions” to ensure that research remains a central focus.
Through its Doctoral School, Técnico integrates business experience into doctoral programmes and fosters collaboration with companies, public entities, and funding agencies.
