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Mission, Vision and General Objectives

CHANGE’s mission is to identify scientifically supported public policy and governance solutions targeting an environmentally friendly, resource-efficient, and competitive economy in the context of ongoing global changes.

CHANGE’s vision is to become the go-to R&D Hub for developing, evaluating and operationalising innovative and improved public policies with relevance and impact on Global Change and Sustainability.

CHANGE aims to produce new knowledge and promote scientific research and innovation activities that support the adaptation of public policies and the definition of new governance strategies that contribute to a resilient economy, reconciled with the environment, and efficient in terms of resources use.

The Objectives of CHANGE are:

Promote scientific research that contributes to informing a science-based design of public policies.

Contribute to the science-based evaluation of the implementation of national science policy in environmental, agricultural, economic, and social sciences with an integrative perspective of Sustainability.

Foster and develop collaboration with other research and technological development institutions, namely through scientific exchange, positioning itself in relevant national and international networks and consortia.

Collaborate with partners from the private, public, and cooperative sectors to better tailor research results to issues identified in practice enhancing the societal impact of the knowledge produced.

Promote the dissemination, interest, and recognition of scientific and technological knowledge among students and society.

To achieve these objectives, CHANGE relies on a unique set of characteristics and competencies, particularly in terms of core expertise:

  • Specialization in studies and research in various fields with relevance and impact on solutions for the challenges associated with global changes and sustainability;
  • Recognized experience in providing information and advice on sustainable development policies;
  • Participation in international and national strategies and action plans, developing policy tools;
  • Integration into high-level national and international advisory councils, commissions, and working groups;
  • Involvement in global scientific, policy, and strategic agendas;

And in terms of location, management, and methodological approach:

  • Territorial coverage of the southern part of the country, with a natural focus on the Mediterranean, unique among Portuguese Associate Laboratories;
  • Experience and practice in involving relevant local and regional actors in the development of policies and governance processes at various levels, with national representativeness and impact;
  • Management structure that promotes participation in joint projects and initiatives, taking advantage of the synergies and complementarities of MED, CE3C, and CENSE, as well as the national and international networks of the three Research Units;
  • Complementarity, multidisciplinary reinforcement, and cross-fertilization of disciplines such as ecology, environment, agriculture, economics, and sociology;
  • Integrated research, co-creative, multi, and transdisciplinary approach.

 

CHANGE’s Thematic Lines

CHANGE’s activities are organised in five independent yet interconnected Thematic Lines (TL).

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