This week marks the start of the non-academic chair established between CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, a research unit of the University of Aveiro (UAveiro), and the Port of Aveiro. This pioneering initiative in the national context aims to deepen scientific knowledge at the intersection of environmental sustainability and economic development linked to the port sector.
The development of the Port of Aveiro involves interventions to improve its maritime access and port infrastructure. These projects, alongside the anticipated effects of climate change — such as sea level rise, increased coastal erosion, or sedimentation — require in-depth knowledge to ensure the port's growth is compatible with its surrounding environment. The work of the Chair will therefore focus on topics such as hydrodynamic modelling, assessment of the environmental impacts of port operations, and their adaptation to climate change, with particular attention to the Ria de Aveiro, an ecosystem classified as a Special Protection Area.
The University of Aveiro is expected to develop models simulating hydrodynamic processes in the Ria, such as tides, wind-driven wave patterns, and currents, as well as to monitor port development projects in order to anticipate potential environmental impacts resulting from the expansion of the Port of Aveiro.
The chair involves the participation of researcher Américo Soares Ribeiro from the Department of Physics of the University of Aveiro/CESAM, has a duration of six years, and is co-financed at 50% by the Port of Aveiro Administration. It is part of the FCT–Tenure programme, which supports the hiring of researchers in Portuguese scientific institutions in partnership with non-academic entities, such as the Port of Aveiro Administration.
This partnership between the University and the Port thus reinforces the importance of bridging academia and industry, placing scientific knowledge at the service of innovative solutions that ensure a balance between economic development and increased climate resilience in the region.
