Offside
Corporate

INESC TEC, in the words of our partners – Statement by Luís Fernando Passos, consultant for research and development at TBE – Transmissoras Brasileiras de Energia (Brazilian Energy Transmitters).

Limelight

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" I have to admit that in the beginning, I felt like an odd duck. I did not understand the terminology used and the dynamics was pretty different from what I was used to. I was used to talking about 'emotions', 'feelings' and 'behaviours', as opposed to 'systems', 'networks', 'algorithms'…", Susana Barbosa, C-BER

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Corporate

Corporate

This section gives voice to companies and organisations that have worked with INESC TEC in various projects and activities. A good relationship and good examples are fundamental ingredients for science and technology to serve society with equal amounts of enthusiasm and professionalism.

Luís Fernando Passos, consultant for research and development at TBE – Transmissoras Brasileiras de Energia (Brazilian Energy Transmitters)

  • "And INESC TEC’s attitude, considering a cycle of R&D development projects, in the electric sector, motivates us to continue with this partnership. INESC TEC understood the position of these projects, which are not yet products that can launch an incubated company, but also not experimental research, just to generate masters and doctorates."

History of the relationship between the company and INESC TEC

The companies that generate, transmit and deliver electric energy in Brazil need to develop R&D (Research & Development) projects, by force of law. These projects are ranked in four requirements: originality, applicability, relevance and costs reasonability. Therefore, it is challenging to develop a new project that can actually be used in an extremely conservative sector such as the electrical one.

Business areas

Electric Energy Transmission

Year in which the institution collaborated with INESC TEC

Since 2010

Title of the project

TECCON - Technology of Fiber Optic Sensors to Supervise, Control and Protect Electrical Energy Systems

INESC TEC Centre(s) with which the company collaborated

CAP – Centre for Applied Photonics 

Project manager (INESC TEC)

Pedro Jorge (Phase I) and Mauro Rosa (Phase II)

Statement about the Project

The project in which we collaborate with INESC TEC (first phase from 2010 to 2014, and the second from 2015 to 2018) is an optical fiber sensors system, that monitors currents, temperature and the moving of energy transmitting cables in real time. It allows an operation in the transmission line with more safety and efficiency, maximizing resources. This system involves from the creation of new fibersensing to the data analysis system, using artificial intelligence techniques, and passing through loaded electronics and mechanical drawing of the upcoming products.

In the first phase, the project’s concept was approved, and it had an excellent evaluation from the regulatory organisms (that ended up suggesting the project continuity, which is something very rare). In the second phase, the «head of series» is being developed, meaning that a product that has a strong potential to be applied in other companies of the sector. This product is still in development mode, but has already presented relevant results, mainly in what concerns the management of several researchers that came from different institutions and, so, subject to specific rules. Managing these contracts is also something unprecedented.

There are two distinct moments. In the first phase, there was an involvement of Brazilian and Portuguese researchers, which demonstrated the creative and organizational force of INESC TEC. It resulted in a great project, with good evaluations and impacts in the market. The second phase of the project is just beginning and it has already shown the potential of the product that’s being generated, besides the good paradigm changes to the Brazilian researchers involved and to us, as customers/contractors, demonstrating flexibility and accession to the reality of the Brazilian market.

With the creation of INESC P&D Brasil everything got easier. Since the funding to develop research programmes, in the electric sector, is public, there is a restriction in what concerns the foreigner partners.  And INESC TEC’s attitude, considering a cycle of R&D development projects, in the electric sector, motivates us to continue with this partnership. INESC TEC understood the position of these projects, which are not yet products that can launch an incubated company, but also not experimental research, just to generate masters and doctorates. There is a gap between these two moments, which demands well done and prepared projects in order to be able to become a commercial product, but still with a strong academic slant.