The Support Centre for Innovative Projects and Ideas (CAPI) supports the development of innovative projects and ideas, primarily focusing on young people, the R&D Centre and Incubation Centre and links the structure of BLC3 with Business Hosting Areas and society. Its core activities are project management, identification and selection of investment/funding sources and promotion of structural investment funds. The Department of Bioeconomy and Support to the Economic Fabric and the Support Office for intellectual and Industrial Property (GABI) are both integrated within CAPI.

  • Bioeconomy dynamization in Portugal;
  • Economic feasibility analysis;
  • Stimulation of an innovative economic fabric;
  • Selection and identification of investment and funding sources;
  • Promotion of European, structural and investment funds, such as Horizon 2020 and Portugal 2020;
  • Project Management;
  • Support to Intellectual and Industrial Property.

The idea of a Bioeconomy based on modern, global, competitive and dynamic knowledge was established in 2000, at the Lisbon Summit Meeting launched by the European Union (EU). Bioeconomy as key-factor for Europe’s development, in line with is strategy for 2014-2020. The ‘Department of Bioeconomy and Support to the Economic Region’ was created within the Support Centre for Innovative Projects and Ideas, whose missions and purposes are:

  • To provide the socio-economic fabric with a highly skilled structure in the areas of human resources, engineering, biotechnology, chemistry, computer science, nanotechnology and economy;
  • To act as a business department for the promotion of companies and industrial/regional symbiosis and to be the basis for innovative and technological growth for companies;
  • To conduct thematic meetings with the economic fabric to create a new entrepreneurship spirit;
  • To establish young critical mass in the region;
  • To develop new projects for an efficient utilization of the land and its resources;
  • To promote interconnections between processes and value chains for the decarbonization and dematerialization of the economic activity by investing in a smart and sustainable growth and promoting the Circular Economy concept.

Contact us: bioeconomia.empresas@blc3.pt

The success of any business lies in the protection of ideas, projects and business models. This department aims to support the development of strategies and measures for intellectual and industrial property protection and help the transfer of knowledge from the scientific and technological system to the region’s economic fabric.

The Young Farmers Club is a strategic club created by BLC3 in early September 2011. Its goal is to gather young farmers (up to 40 years old) from the Central Inner Region and those who wish to settle in this region, in order to promote and revive agricultural activity, especially orcharding, within this age group.

For example, the agricultural census 2009 reported only six farmers younger than 25 years old, against 1354 farmers with more than 65 years old, in the "Beira Serra" region – Arganil, Góis, Oliveira do Hospital and Tábua. In Portugal, the average farming area is 12.74 ha, but only 2.27 ha in the pilot region.

BLC3 has been fighting to turn this dramatic situation around, working with government entities and encouraging them to take action on the matter. A solution presented by BLC3 refers to the creation of a real estate fund that will allow land restructuring of the region and tax payment on abandoned lands, to encourage agricultural activity. This reorganization is essential to enable access to land for young people who wish to develop their future in this field. Adding to this difficulty, there is the issue of not knowing to whom a significant part of the territory belongs – about 20%.

Young Farmers Club is a key structure in the region, promoting region development and the settlement of young people by creating self-employment opportunities.

Portugal has the potential to become a major apple exporter, despite still importing this resource. The focus at this point is on native species, such as apples and the S. Bartolomeu pear, selected for the favorable local geographical and climatic conditions, making the club stand out nationally and internationally.

3i Club – Investigation | Innovation | Interdisciplinary emerges from BLC3 Association with the goal of establishing a connection with the youth from the Inner Region of Portugal.

3i Club aims to attract talented people from the Inner Region by establishing an entrepreneurship culture, favoring the connections with academia and fostering scientific and technological research, Innovation and creativity. 3i Club is restricted to innovative and creative teachers, researchers and company employees from the Inner Region, with experience in technological development and multidisciplinary profiles, aged between 22 and 35 years old, when applying to the club.

The club will work closely with the Entrepreneurship Club and Investors Club supported by the R&TD Centre, the Incubation Centre and the Support Centre for Innovative Projects and Ideas, which already possess human resources, facilities, equipment and a number of key infrastructures for the success of business projects.

The 3i Club boasts a network of 46 members from 14 different areas, supporting/endorsing the development of three ongoing entrepreneurial projects.

The Entrepreneurship Club is an innovation and excellence keystone, where a network of young entrepreneurs with the ability to make a difference in the global market is being established. This club works in cooperation with the 3i Club and Investors Club, with the support of the BLC3 Incubation Centre.

Its mission is to gather entrepreneurs, thus building team spirit and promoting interaction and cooperation between projects and enterprises.