An "open door" to help companies. This is what the Algarve's Center for Marine Sciences (CCMar) wants to be and, for that, it already has a business unit working. Consulting services, support in matters related to investment funds and technological solutions are areas in which support will materialize.
In order to make these aspects known, the CCMar called the companies to itself, in the initiative “New impulses to the Algarve's economy”, held on November 16, at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Algarve in Campus of Gambelas, in Faro.
Daniela Fazenda is responsible for this Business Unit and explained to Sul Informação that the idea is that the companies to be helped “connect with CCMar and its researchers”. "We always look at this from the perspective of understanding what the company can gain from CCMar and what CCMar can gain from the company," he added.
To do this, a company that needs technology developed by that center, to solve a problem, just get in touch with CCMar.
The idea is that the help provided is personalized, always looking for the best solution for each of the companies, which can include help with applications to European investment funds, for example.
Adelino Canário, director of CCMar, who was also present at the session, stressed that the support given by the center to companies is not new (Sparos and Aquanostra are examples), but now "there is a group of people" who have been hired for this purpose.
“There is greater availability of human resources. We can be more proactive, contact companies directly», he explained.
“Most traditional companies do not know that there are technologies that can greatly improve their product and that is our main point. We have some knowledge, some capacity, and people are often unaware that this can help them».
Is that, «when a problem arises, the Business Unit he will know which researcher or team he should turn to,” said Adelino Canário.
Daniela Fazenda, on the other hand, revealed that help can also be given to companies that do not have the sea as a business area. Proof of this is that an Alentejo company linked to agriculture has already been helped.
On the other hand, "they have to be companies that are open to suggestions" as there may be "changes in procedures", resulting from the introduction of new "research or technology processes", explained Adelino Canário.
And it may even be the case that a company arrives with "certain ideas that give rise to the CCMar gain a new valence", said the responsible for Business Unit. "It can happen and it's a winning contribution for both sides."
One of the goals is also that "even within the CCMar" this new branch of the center will help the results of projects to be "transformed into small companies", said Adelino Canário.
According to Daniela Fazenda, it is only “in the alliance between academia and the business world that the arrival of a certain technology on the market can be consolidated”.
For the constitution of this Business Unit seven people were hired, through funding from the European Marine Biological Resources Laboratory (EMBRC).
Companies that want to get in touch with CCMar, to benefit from these services, can do so through the e-mail [email protected].
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