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SUMMARY
This project aims to tackle issues arising from the exponential growth of the urban population. This global trend is leading to the deterioration of urban facilities quality of life, posing an unparalleled set of challenges.
The Future Cities Project is an FP7 funded project which aims at unlocking the full potential of interdisciplinary research in urban technologies, as well as strengthening knowledge transfer activities in close cooperation with local and global industrial partners.
The project’s primary goal is to turn the city of Porto into an urban-scale living lab, where researchers, companies and start-ups can develop and test technologies, products and services, exploring such subjects as sustainable mobility, urban-scale sensing, safety and privacy, as well as quality of life for citizens and their families.
Work will be conducted across a multiplicity of disciplines, engaging not only engineers and computer scientists, but also psychologists, urban studies specialists, and social scientists. The University of Porto will conduct the research through various groups from the Engineering (FEUP), Psychology (FPCEUP) and Sciences (FCUP) faculties, amongst others.
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SOLUTIONS
- Aggregating a critical mass in key areas of expertise for future cities that also signals a closer and more profitable connection among research groups and Portuguese companies
- Creating new knowledge in key areas of future city technologies, operations and management
- Recruiting and training highly qualified individuals for the industry and academia with relevant scientific expertise, as well as international experience and proven leadership qualities
- Adopting and consolidating the best practice of top research and innovation centres in Europe at the University of Porto
- Implementing mechanisms and routine practices for brainstorming, exchanging ideas, attaining technical depth, publishing in top scientific periodicals, protecting of intellectual property and developing security products with the industry
- Increasing the number and quality of scientific publications, which should be targeted towards technical depth with strong impact in the real world
- Fostering technology transfer of future city solutions to the local and international industry and end users, leading to significant increases of Portugal’s comparative advantages and exports
- Promoting the stronger participation of the Future Cities’ researchers and collaborating companies in the activities of the European Research Area
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LINK: http://futurecities.up.pt/site/
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