Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation

Due to its nature grounded in mechanical engineering, the Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA) is a strategic and relevant Research Centre for (and with) the Community, particularly business and industry.

TEMA is included in the “Portuguese Roadmap of Research Infrastructures of Strategic Relevance”, having been classified by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia and CCDRC – Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Centro with the highest rating ("Category 1 - Those that have demonstrated high scientific potential and are considered to have high strategic regional and/or national relevance"), following the reference in https://www.fct.pt/apoios/equipamento/roteiro/index.phtml.en

TEMA Research Centre supports a multidimensional structure embracing three strategic specialization vectors: i) Fundamental and Applied Research; ii) Innovation, Technological Development and Technology Transfer to the Society; and iii) Consulting, Training and Services.

One of the key-services of TEMA Research Centre is the support of research activities, both fundamental and applied. Particularly on the domain of the relation with “clients” (i.e., external researchers and industry), the Research Centre TEMA provides, in a single and rationally concentrated facility, all the means needed for the development of their research, by means of an internal division and organization with six research groups: i) Advanced mechanical engineering; ii) Applied energy; iii) Biomechanics; iv) Development of simulation software; v) Nanoengineering; and vi) Transport technologies.

Innovation, Technological Development and Technology Transfer is particularly and naturally focused in mechanical engineering domains. The purpose of this vector is to promote the link between the developed research and enterprise sectors, as well as to provide a connection for technology transfer from the University to Industrial and Business' stakeholders. This is carried out by means of the support for (and to) products and processes' development, aiming to improve the competitiveness and excellence of the clients, namely in business areas such as: i) The development of new computational tools; ii) The study and development of new materials and engineering systems; iii) Innovative engineering products, including biomechanical devices; iv) Innovative and/or improved manufacturing technologies; v) Design of equipment and prototypes; and vi) Nanoengineering applications.

The Consultancy, Training and Services vector is a natural complement to the previous ones, derived from the acquired knowledge in the support of research and solutions’ development for the Community (Industrial and Scientific). Also, the accumulated knowledge and know-how of the TEMA Research Centre is grounded on its laboratorial facilities. The mission of this vector is to address the needs and demands of a wide variety of clients’ profiles among a number of expertise areas, namely: i) Mechanical testing, essays and prototypes; ii) Material characterization at micro and nano scales; iii) Industrial automation; iv) Energy systems, energy efficiency and fluid mechanics; v) Transportation systems’ impact, environment and life-cycle analysis; vi) Optimization of manufacturing processes; and vii) Molding technology.