CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials

New research from the University of Aveiro suggests that purple passion fruit peel, a food industry byproduct rich in fibre and bioactive compounds, may help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress associated with asthma.

The study, published in Food Research International, found that dietary supplementation with purple passion fruit peel powder enhanced antioxidant defences and was associated with lower levels of markers linked to allergic and airway inflammation, as well as fewer inflammatory cells in lung tissue.

The findings highlight the potential of this underused food byproduct as a nutritional adjuvant in supporting asthma control, while also contributing to its sustainable valorisation.

The research involved scientists from CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, LAQV-REQUIMTE and CESAM, together with collaborators from Brazil and the University of Coimbra.

Read the full article: https://www.ciceco.ua.pt/?tabela=geral_article&menu=255&language=eng&id_article=3684

Jornadas CICECO 2026 is open to the scientific community, to our industrial, technological and educational partners, and to anyone curious about science and creativity.

This edition carries a special weight: it marks 25 years of CICECO. A full day of talks, poster sessions, PhD pitches, awards and the chance to reconnect with the people who built this community.

Free entry, registration required. Everything you need is on the website: jornadasciceco.web.ua.pt

🔥🌍 University of Aveiro and Bosch are entering a new phase of their long-term partnership with the launch of Next2Heat, succeeding the ILLIANCE Agenda and reinforcing a shared commitment to the energy transition and building decarbonization.

The project was presented during a visit by Olivier Cois, Global Head of Engineering at Bosch Thermotechnology, to the University of Aveiro, including a tour of CICECO‘s and other units laboratories and research infrastructure.

📅 Recently approved under Portugal 2030, Next2Heat kicks off on 1 September 2026, running for three and a half years with a funded investment of €18.3 million.

🤝 Bringing together Bosch Thermotechnology, the University of Aveiro, Isolago, Compo-Star and Petibol, the project will develop:
🔹 High-performance electric heat pumps
🔹 Next-generation gas heating technologies
🔹 Bioplastic-based components and packaging

All aimed at lowering environmental impact and boosting energy efficiency in water heating and climate control.

Read more:
https://www.ciceco.ua.pt/?tabela=geral_article&menu=255&language=eng&id_article=3687

Every date you need for Jornadas CICECO 2026 in one place.
4 September: registration deadline
11 September: poster abstract submission
11 September: PhD pitch submission
21 September: Art in Science submission
15 October: Jornadas CICECO 2026, Casa da Cultura de Ílhavo

Jornadas CICECO 2026 is open to the scientific community, to our industrial, technological and educational partners, and to anyone curious about science and creativity.

Free entry, registration required. Everything you need is on the website: jornadasciceco.web.ua.pt

We are delighted to share that Daniela S. C. Bispo, researcher at CICECO and Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, has been awarded the Cells Best PhD Thesis Award 2025, granted by the MDPI journal Cells.

The award recognises outstanding doctoral research in cell biology, molecular biology and biophysics.

Daniela’s PhD research explored the metabolic mechanisms underlying the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells, using NMR metabolomics to identify robust metabolic markers with potential applications in regenerative medicine and the development of engineered bone implants.

Her work, developed within the BIOIMPLANT and BetterBone projects at CICECO, contributes to advancing our understanding of stem cell differentiation and the development of innovative approaches for bone regeneration.

Congratulations, Daniela, and her supervisor Ana M. Gil, and co-supervisors Mariana Oliveira and João Mano! 👏

We are proud to see CICECO research recognised at an international level.

Read more: https://www.ciceco.ua.pt/?tabela=geral_article&menu=255&language=eng&id_article=3702

Congratulations to Inês Vieira, João Lopes Miranda and Mariana Almeida from CICECO and DEMaC, University of Aveiro, on their recognition at the 5th Young Ceramists Network (YCN) Workshop, organised by the European Ceramic Society!

🏆 Inês Vieira — Audience-Voted Best Pitch Award
🏆 João Lopes Miranda — Rapid Fire Presentations, Pitch Your Poster (and now one of 8 YCN network representatives)
🏆 Mariana Almeida — 2nd Place, YCN Photo Contest, for her micrograph “Zeolites Blossom“

Held at Otrębusy Palace, Poland, the workshop brought together early-career researchers from across Europe to build skills in AI tools, science communication, leadership and networking.

Proud of our next generation of materials scientists excelling not only in research, but in sharing it with the world 🔬✨

Read the full story:
https://www.ciceco.ua.pt/?tabela=geral_article&menu=255&language=eng&id_article=3669

Representatives from ten institutions across Argentina, Chile, Colombia, France and Portugal met in Bogotá for the Annual General Meeting of TechTraPlastiCE, an Erasmus+ project advancing the circular economy for plastics in Latin America.

🤝 Ten partner institutions, including University of Aveiro and Universidad Central (host), reviewed the project‘s first year and set the course ahead.

🔬 CICECO leads Work Package 2 with Universidad Nacional del Sur, mapping expertise and services to open new industry collaborations. CICECO was represented by Paula Ferreira and Idalina Gonçalves.

🌍 Discussions also highlighted the EU‘s Global Gateway strategy and the vital role of Colombian waste pickers in a just circular transition.

Read more:
https://www.ciceco.ua.pt/?tabela=geral_article&menu=255&language=eng&id_article=3690

Jornadas CICECO 2026 is open to the scientific community, to our industrial, technological and educational partners, and to anyone curious about science and creativity.

This edition carries a special weight: it marks 25 years of CICECO. A full day of talks, poster sessions, PhD pitches, awards and the chance to reconnect with the people who built this community.

Registration deadline: 4 September. Secure your place!

Free entry, registration required. Everything you need is on the website: jornadasciceco.web.ua.pt

After more than four years, the ILLIANCE Agenda has wrapped up proving how academia-industry partnerships can accelerate smarter, greener, more energy-efficient buildings.

The closing event at Bosch Aveiro brought together the 29 partners behind one of Portugal‘s largest collaborative innovation initiatives under the PRR.

CICECO key contributions we led by:

🔬 João Tedim (IoT-enabled water heaters)

🔬 Paula Ferreira (recycled EPS solutions)

🔬 Paula Vilarinho (ceramic flooring with recycled content)

🔬 Ana Barros (smart home sensing)

📊 The results: €13.7M invested, 86 new products/processes/services, 4 patent applications, 5 licensing agreements, and 160+ scientific publications.

Rector Artur Silva praised ILLIANCE as proof that great research can drive real industrial impact and the project has already paved the way for what‘s next partnerships.

Read more about the event at: https://www.ciceco.ua.pt/?tabela=geral_article&menu=255&language=eng&id_article=3672

Jornadas CICECO 2026 takes place on 15 October at Casa da Cultura de Ílhavo, under the theme “Celebrating CICECO Alumni Excellence, Diversity and Impact“.

This edition carries a special weight: it marks 25 years of CICECO. A full day of talks, poster sessions, PhD pitches, awards and the chance to reconnect with the people who built this community.

Free entry, registration required. Everything you need is on the website: jornadasciceco.web.ua.pt

15 October 2026 | Casa da Cultura de Ílhavo