The Proof of Concept Grants, of up to 150,000 euros for a period of up to 18 months, aim to maximise the value of the excellent research that the ERC funds, by funding further work to verify the innovation potential of ideas arising from ERC funded projects. Researchers can thus explore business opportunities, patent their discoveries or verify the practical viability of scientific concepts.

The “INSOLENSYS” project aims to test the combination of photovoltaic cells and batteries in order to make solar energy production more efficient and more environmentally friendly. The project also has the support of the Italian company D1-Venture in validation, market research and contacts with industrial partners for the testing and certification of results.

Isabel Ferreira is an associate professor in the Materials Science Department at FCT UNL and a researcher at CENIMAT. This is the third ERC grant awarded to her. In 2015 she was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant with the project “CapTherPV” and in 2018 she was awarded another PoC Grant with the project “CAPSEL”.

A total of 128 ERC grants have been awarded to date to researchers working in Portugal.