R&D Nester in the “Portugal, Country of Engineering Excellence” Award
R&D Nester is one of the COTEC associates that has given its support to the "Portugal, Country of Engineering Excellence" Award. This award was set up by COTEC Portugal and its associates, in partnership with the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science. It seeks to encourage people to take up engineering and science in general, in Portugal. It is awarded to pupils and schools that have undertaken significant work in the engineering and technology fields.
The award comprises three €20,000 prizes for engineering activities in schools with a high percentage of experimental content, aimed at the third stage of basic education (13-15 year-old-pupils). There are two sections to the award: one for pupils and the teachers who guide them in their work; the other for the school that presents the best pedagogical processes for teaching the experimental or laboratory component of the third stage of basic education.
The public launch of the award was held in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation on 11 June as part of the COTEC general assembly. The Portuguese President, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, was present, together with Nuno Crato, Minister of Education and Science, João Bento, Chairman of COTEC Portugal, Daniel Bessa, COTEC Portugal Director-General, and Eduardo Marçal Grilo, chairman of the jury.
According to Nuno Souza e Silva, R&D Nester's CEO who also attended the event, "R&D Nester's association with this award reinforces the importance that this Centre gives to innovation, to excellence and to the skills of human resources, for the enhancement of our country."