COMPANY GOVERNANCE
Governance Model
CAE REGULATIONS [PDF]
The National Innovation Agency’s (ANI) capital is equally subscribed by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education, through the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology (50%), and by the Ministry of Economy, through IAPMEI (50%).
ANI STATUTES [PDF]
General Assembly
Chairman:
Secretary:
Sole Auditor
Primary Auditor:
ABC – Azevedo Rodrigues, Batalha, Costa & Associados, SROC, Lda.
Substitute:
José Miguel Azevedo Rodrigues
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
ANI’s organizational structure has six business units and five support units. All units report directly to the Board of Directors.
CLIENT DEVELOPMENT
The Customer Development Unit prioritizes placing companies, entrepreneurs, researchers, and organizations as strategic drivers of ANI’s activity, promoting more innovation, more collaboration, and more capacity-building for all these entities.
CONTACT
PUBLIC INNOVATION POLICIES
CONTACT
Public Innovation Policies
Coordination
NATIONAL INCENTIVE SYSTEMS
The National Incentive Systems Unit prioritizes empowering the innovation ecosystem for efficient access to R&D support instruments and supporting the implementation of strategic initiatives within the framework of the PT2020 and PT2030 community support programs.
CONTACT
Maria Matos
National Incentive Systems
Coordination
R&D Tax Incentive Certification
ANI is responsible for managing the entire process leading to the certification of R&D expenses and the allocation of a tax credit under the Fiscal Incentive System for Business Research and Development (SIFIDE).
CONTACT
INTERFACE MISSION
The Interface Program is a program that supports collaborative R&D, aiming to promote the transfer of technology from universities to companies, particularly through support for knowledge transfer infrastructures such as Interface Centers (CIT) and Collaborative Laboratories (CoLAB).
CONTACT
João Ferreira
Interface Mission
Coordination
mi@ani.pt
NATIONAL STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
CONTACT
João Ribau
National Strategic Initiatives
Coordination
iniciativas.estrategicas@ani.pt
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
ANI continuously seeks to ensure international cooperation with counterpart agencies from other countries, particularly through TAFTIE – the European Network of Innovation Agencies.
CONTACT
Mafalda Dourado
International Affairs
General Coordination
assuntosinternacionais@ani.pt
EUROPEAN R&I PROGRAMS
The European R&I Programs Unit aims to increase national participation in European R&I programs and platforms, particularly in Pillars II and III of Horizon Europe, the EUREKA program, and the Enterprise Europe Network initiatives.
CONTACT
COMMUNICATION
The Communication area’s main objective is the definition, implementation, and monitoring of a 360-degree marketing and communication strategy, both internal and external, aimed at reaching a wide range of national and international audiences for ANI’s various initiatives, projects, and solutions.
CONTACT
ANDREIA VICENTE
comunicacao@ani.pt
Financial and Resource Management
The Financial and Resource Management area’s main objectives are to ensure financial sustainability and resource efficiency, as well as to define and monitor budgets and financial plans, with full transparency and in line with ANI’s strategic objectives.
CONTACT
info@ani.pt
Information Systems
It aims to support all the organization’s operations through technology and the management of information, as well as network, server, and IT infrastructure architecture, ensuring the availability and security of systems.
CONTACT
Filipe Moreira
si@ani.pt
People & Talent
To empower and equip all Human Resources staff across ANI’s various units with the knowledge and skills needed to promote an organizational environment and service of excellence, that is sustainable and inclusive.
CONTACT
rh@ani.pt
BD
The Board of Directors defines the strategy and objectives of ANI – National Innovation Agency, ensuring best practices in governance, assessing and approving investments, financing, strategic partnerships, and institutional relations.
CONTACT
Advisory Compliance
CONTACT
PROCURE+I
PROCURE+i – Center of Competence for Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI), aims to be the main entry point for accessing information dedicated to public procurement of innovation, through a repository of documents and multimedia.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: António Grilo
Full Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management currently holding the position of President of the National Agency for Innovation, SA (ANI). He has previously held academic management positions at NOVA School of Science and Technology as Head of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Director of the research center UNIDEMI, Member of the Board of NOVA.ID, Director of the PhD Program in Industrial Engineering, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Madan Parque Incubator, and Member of the Board of Directors of UNINOVA.
As a professor he teaches subjects such as Technological Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Product Development, Information Systems, Decision Models, Digital Supply Chains and Project Management.
António Grilo has managed more than 20 research & development and innovation projects, mainly in partnership with companies. He has published more than 115 articles with more than 2200 citations of his scientific papers.
Executive Director: Sílvia Garcia
Sílvia Garcia holds a PhD in Biotechnology, a postgraduate degree in Industrial Management, and a degree in Chemical Engineering from NOVA School of Science and Technology (FCTNOVA). With over 15 years of experience in industry, she has primarily worked in technological innovation, both in the public and private sectors. In recent years, she has focused on developing ideas and implementing them through multidisciplinary R&D projects (national and international) and establishing strategic partnerships with the National Scientific and Technological System (SCTN) to promote new technological areas.
In recent years, she led the Innovation and Development Laboratory (INCMLAB) at Casa da Moeda and Imprensa Nacional, actively contributing to its creation and development and launching and creating the company’s innovation award (IN3+ Award).
She was a senior researcher at ISQ (Institute of Welding and Quality), where she also served as a senior technician in the area of industrial sustainability. At the Portuguese Environment Agency, she worked as a senior technician in the field of industrial licensing, with the mission of monitoring public policies with the European Union, particularly in the area of environmental responsibility. She began her career as a researcher at IBET (Institute of Experimental Biology and Technology), ITQB (Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology-António Xavier), and FCT-UNL (NOVA School of Science and Technology), where she completed her PhD in 2006.
Voluntarily, she coordinated the Artificial Intelligence Mission Group of APDSI (Association for the Promotion and Development of the Information Society), responsible for analyzing, discussing, and promoting the trends and use of AI in the public and private sectors and developing strategic thinking to demystify AI.
Non-Executive Director: José Pulido Valente
Academic qualifications
Degree in Law from the Lisbon Classical University, in 1982;
Fellow at the Hans Seidel Stifung, in Munich, between 1982 and 1984;
INSEAD Eureko Program in 1985.
Postgraduate in Community Law by the Catholic University, in 1987;
AESE Senior Management Program for Companies in 1996.
Postgraduate in Internet Law by the Lisbon School of Law in 2002.
Professional experience
Deputy to Hoechst Portuguesa Managing Director between 1984 and 1986.
Legal expert at Banco Pinto e Sotto Mayor (BPSM) International Department until 1988.
Joined Banco Comercial Português (BCP) In 1988, with the following work functions:
- Marketing Director until 1993;
- Director of Int. Private Banking until 1994;
- Quality Director until 1995;
- Chief Executive of Private Banking until 1997;
- Responsible for Legal Advice until 1999;
- Chief Executive of Banco 7 until 2002;
- President and CEO of Activo Bank in Portugal and Vice-President in Spain until 2003;
- Chief Executive of the Retail Network until 2006;
- Chief Executive of the Corporate and Companies Network until 2021;
- Director Coordinator of the Specialist Credit and Real Estate Department until 2024.
Non-Executive Director: Maria Madalena dos Santos Alves
Full Professor, PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of Minho (UMinho). She was the director of the Biological Engineering Center (CEB), a role she held from January 2020 until assuming the presidency of FCT on July 1, 2022.
She graduated in Chemical Engineering at the University of Porto, earned a master’s degree in Biochemical Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico.
She has held management and academic coordination roles at the University of Minho, including course directorships, participation in the School Board, and the Scientific Council of the School of Engineering.
Her research interest lies in Environmental Biotechnology, and she has supervised PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in this area and related fields. She has coordinated or co-coordinated numerous national and European funded projects and collaborated with a network of international researchers, bringing to UMinho a researcher who won an ERC AdvG (shared scientifically and financially with her research group).
She has participated in several evaluation committees for international agencies, such as the Helmholtz Association (Germany) and the Irish and Swiss Science Foundations.
She has received various awards, including the Lettinga Award (2004), funded by international companies, BES Innovation (2005), and the National Environmental Innovation Award (2006). In September 2009, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Technical University of Iasi in Romania. In January 2016, she was honored with the title of Citizen of Merit by the Municipality of Viana do Castelo, where she is originally from.