The Polytechnic University of Guarda – UPG filed three patent applications developed by its researchers in the digital and health sectors. Between June and July 2026, two national patent applications were submitted to the National Institute of Industrial Property for a digital manufacturing system and an additive printing system, both authored by Rui Pires, as well as an international patent application for an integrated blood infusion device, developed by lecturers Raquel Lima and Luís Miguel Condeço.
The applications were formalized a few months after the launch, in March, of an Executive Training Program in Innovation and Intellectual Property, an executive postgraduate program in partnership with the consulting firm Inventa, specialized in trademark and patent registration. The training, in hybrid and after-work format, aims to equip researchers, company executives, municipal technicians, and entrepreneurs to secure industrial property rights, including patents, trademarks, designs, and models.
Rector Joaquim Brigas stated that these patents represent a milestone in UPG's positioning as an institution committed to applied research and proximity to the business sector. Vice-Rector Maximiano Ribeiro highlighted that protecting a patent is also about recognizing the scientific work of researchers, ensuring that the effort is not lost or appropriated by third parties. The program director, Rui Carreto, emphasized that the course teaches in a practical way how to identify what is patentable and the concrete steps for registration.
