“Companies, academia and territory”: the UAlg TEC CAMPUS model

In this edition of #IncubXdiscoveries, we head to Faro to discover UAlg TEC CAMPUS, the University of Algarve’s accelerator for companies in information, communication and electronics technologies. We spoke with Hugo Barros, Executive Coordinator of CRIA, the university’s Division of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, about bringing companies and academia together, the advantages of a compact ecosystem, and the challenges of incubating in the Algarve.

This content is available in Portuguese.

– How did UAlg TEC CAMPUS come about? What kind of projects do you incubate?

Created in 2004, the Algarve Regional Center for Innovation (CRIA) set out to promote innovation and knowledge transfer in the Algarve region, based on a triple helix model. In 2013, UAlg consolidated its innovation and knowledge transfer facilities into a dedicated incubator, UAlg TEC START, which is now an accredited member of the National Incubator Network, managed by Startup Portugal.

In 2022, UAlg opened UAlg TEC CAMPUS, a fully renovated facility dedicated to accelerating SMEs in the Information and Communication Technologies and Electronics sector. Hosting mainly technology-based projects, the accelerator aims to bring business teams, talent, and research closer together.

– Do you have an area of specialization?

Today, we host companies working in artificial intelligence, engineering, software development, digital health, precision agriculture, data, communication, animation, and many other areas.

Rather than specializing in a single sector, we want to bring together companies that recognize and invest in knowledge and technology as a way to solve concrete problems. That diversity ends up being one of our community’s greatest strengths, because it creates opportunities for collaboration between areas that, at first glance, might seem very far apart.

– What does your incubation model look like?

Our model aims to go beyond providing a workspace. Of course, we offer offices, coworking, meeting rooms, and a range of support services, but what truly sets UAlg TEC CAMPUS apart is the connection it creates between companies, academia, and territory.

Being close to the University of Algarve makes it easier for companies, students, researchers, and faculty to connect. In some cases, this leads to internships, research grants, or joint projects; in others, to mentoring, events, or knowledge sharing.

There is also a circular logic that we consider very important: companies benefit from affordable facilities and an active innovation ecosystem and, at the same time, part of the revenue generated by the use of our spaces is reinvested in PhD scholarships and other initiatives that support the academic community.

– Tell us the story of a startup that left its mark on the incubator. Where did incubating with you make a difference?

Fly Moustache is a great example of a path that follows the natural growth of the University of Algarve’s ecosystem. The project started at a very early stage, as one of the winners of the IDEIAS EM CAIXA business idea competition promoted by CRIA, and was based at UAlg TEC START during an early idea and market validation phase.

Once the concept was validated, the company outgrew the incubator and found at UAlg TEC CAMPUS the conditions to consolidate and grow its business, systematically bringing in knowledge and qualified people trained at the university.

– What makes your incubator stand out? In other words, what do you have that helps startups succeed?

In my view, the main differentiating factor is, without a doubt, our connection to the University of Algarve, its dynamics, and its knowledge centers.

This proximity makes it easier to access qualified talent, whether through initiatives such as BrightStart or through internships, academic projects, or research collaborations that come about organically.

There is also an advantage that is very specific to the Algarve. As a relatively compact ecosystem, there is a great deal of proximity between companies, municipalities, public bodies, research centers, and other partners. That ease in building connections and opening doors speeds up processes and creates opportunities that, in larger regions, tend to be harder to make happen.

– Community is one of the factors that distinguishes an incubator from an office center. How do you nurture yours, and what plans do you have to make it more cohesive and fertile?

An accelerator only makes sense if there is a community. It is precisely this interaction between companies that turns a building into a true innovation ecosystem.

Throughout the year, we regularly run very different initiatives. Some are more technical, such as talks, workshops, and knowledge-sharing sessions. Others are more informal, and a good example is the Tecaffè Sessions, where we invite the CEOs of resident companies to have breakfast together and talk, in a completely relaxed setting, about the challenges, opportunities, or difficulties they are facing. It is often in these conversations that unexpected ideas, contacts, or solutions come up.

We also organize origami workshops, dance classes, workplace exercise sessions, shared lunches, and other activities that allow people from different companies to get to know each other. We believe innovation happens more easily when there is trust between people.

– What are the main challenges for incubation in your specific context?

There are many challenges for incubation and acceleration in the Algarve, and we can highlight a few in particular.

The Algarve is going through an EU phasing-out period, which means the region has raised its level of development and is no longer on the list of Europe’s poorest areas. However, this so-called “statistical enrichment” means less direct support for the region and its companies.

There is also low population density, which, given the size of the region, usually means regional resources are spread more thinly, as well as higher costs of operating here, such as housing and mobility, driven by the region’s over-specialization in tourism.

ABOUT #INCUBXDISCOVERIES

#IncubXdiscoveries is Startup Portugal’s monthly feature that will help you discover Portuguese incubators. What projects they incubate, how they manage their community and what success stories they’ve had and future projects are some of the topics covered in these interviews.

If you’d like to find out more about UAlg TEC CAMPUS, either because you’d like to see your project incubated in this region or because you’d like to establish a partnership, contact the Startup Portugal team at incubadoras@startupportugal.com.