The Polytechnic of Leiria has announced an investment of around 600,000 euros in the creation and modernization of laboratories in the health sector, involving works worth more than six million euros.
As part of the handover ceremony of the rehabilitation works of Campus 5 building, where ciTechCare – the Escola Superior de Saúde de Leiria (ESSLei) research center – is located, which was held recently, the President of the Polytechnic of Leiria, Carlos Rabadao, highlighted the improvement of spaces for students and researchers.
“This is an investment of 600,000 euros to modernize and create laboratory spaces focused on the field of health and health research. In addition to these investments, there are other projects underway and some have already been completed,” Carlos Rabadao added on the sidelines of the ceremony, explaining that the amount falls within the scope of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
According to the President of the Polytechnic of Leiria, the total investment is around six million euros, with the largest part, around four million euros, going to the construction of the new Higher School of Education and Social Sciences.
Interventions are also being carried out to improve several laboratories in the remaining four schools of the Polytechnic of Leiria, totalling 2.6 million.
One of the laboratories to be built on Campus 5 is related to exercise physiology, explained ESSLei.
“Above all, strengthening our training offer and supporting this entire aspect, also from a research point of view and continuing with extension projects and with the community, which we also want to strengthen in this area,” explained Rui Fonseca Pinto.
The other new lab will be linked to innovation in nutrition, an important pillar of ciTechCare. “To continue our mission in nutrition, we need a dedicated infrastructure linked to nutrition, and hence the innovation part in nutrition,” he stressed.
aTOPLab, a research laboratory for technology and support products, and C2S, a simulation center for clinical practice, already support classrooms and research and will be redesigned, allowing for more space and offering other services. “This will allow us to increase our offering, both in research and in support of the community,” he said.
Rui Fonseca-Pinto also revealed that they intend to develop services for the community. “Our goal is also to be able in this way to have the space and technical conditions to be able to offer some distinctive services in these areas, whether in nutrition, simulation or in terms of functional performance and physiology of effort”, he explained.
According to the director of ESSLei, these interventions will allow us to continue the “mission of acquiring knowledge at the service of society” and to maintain the school’s motto, “which is to have health at the center.”
