“Is this the end of the science that we need?” That’s the question Luís Caires*, INESC-ID researcher and professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, raises in a recent opinion piece for Público, one of Portugal’s main national newspapers. The article addresses the Portuguese government’s announcement to dissolve the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) and the Agência Nacional de Inovação (ANI).

Luís Caires voices concern about the plan to merge these institutions into a new agency, a move with serious implications for national science policy and at odds with earlier government commitments. He points to the crucial role FCT has played in shaping the Portuguese scientific ecosystem and defends the ongoing relevance of its core mission.

Luís also highlights the distinct timelines and logics that govern science and innovation, stressing the complexity of their relationship. He warns against simplistic views — and against growing disinvestment in fundamental research, which he considers just as essential as applied research in building a resilient and future-ready scientific system.

Read the full article in Público: here

*Luís Caires is an INESC-ID researcher in the IDSS scientific area, ERA Chair Holder under H2020 BIG. He is also Full Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico in the Department of Computer Science and founding Director of the NOVA Laboratory for Computer Science and Informatics.