INSTITUTO DE BIOTECNOLOGIA E QUÍMICA FINA

The Instituto de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (IBQF) was created in 1991 within the programme CIÊNCIA. The IBQF involves researchers in the areas of Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from Centro de Engenharia Biológica e Química (CEBQ) do Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (IST) and from Centro de Biotecnologia Vegetal (CBV) da Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa (FCL), with expertises in the areas of molecular microbiology, plant biotechnology, chemical kinetics and catalysis, chemistry of the natural products, enzyme engineering, cellular engineering and chemical and biological process engineering.

The objectives of the Instituto de Biotecnologia e Química Fina are to promote R&D activities, post-graduate training and technology transfer at an excellent quality level and national and international competitiveness within its scientific areas. The activities of IBQF are focused on the following domains:

• 1. Scientific and technological research for the development of integrated competitive biological and chemical processes which are cost effective, reliable, safe and well controlled thus improving process economy and environmental impact.
• 2. Scientific training at post-graduate level, advanced courses, symposia and other training activities in order to strengthen the current national knowledge and to create new expertises in scientific domains of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
• 3. Technology transfer through training courses in specialized techniques, implementation of R&D projects in cooperation with industries and supplying of consulting services to the industry.

The scientific goals have been achieved through integrated programmes which aim at strengthening the established areas and developing emerging areas in Biotechnology, namely Industrial Biological and Chemical Technology, Health Biotechnology and Environmental Biological and Chemical Technology. These programmes have been developed on the basis of interdisciplinary projects with the participation of researchers from the different scientific areas and in cooperation with other national and international institutions.

Post-graduate education is provided at M.Sc., Ph.D. and Post-Doctoral levels. The reinforcement of the internationalisation in this domain is being pursued.

The interaction with the productive sector is of vital importance to the country not only for the restructuring of the traditional biological industry (antibiotics, food, etc.) but also as a way of creating new opportunities. Consequently, an increase in the projects with industry and in the transfer of technology is promoted, at national and international level.