14-10-2026

The Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation participated in Connect Açores 2026 by MEO, an event dedicated to technological innovation, digital transformation, and the challenges organizations face in a context of rapid technological evolution.

The initiative brought together representatives from companies, institutions, and regional entities to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on business, the role of data and connectivity in improving the tourism experience, and the importance of operational resilience for organizational continuity.

Throughout the program, topics such as the application of artificial intelligence to management, the use of data to develop smart tourism solutions, and the contribution of digital technologies to business competitiveness were addressed.

Participation in this meeting underscores the importance of fostering closer ties between scientific knowledge, the business community, and regional development actors, creating opportunities to identify synergies, establish partnerships, and leverage the knowledge generated in the Azores.

As a support structure for scientific research and project management at the University of the Azores, the Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation recognizes innovation and collaboration across different sectors as essential factors for developing solutions with economic, social, and territorial impact.

The connection between science, technology, and business is essential for transforming knowledge into value and contributing to a more competitive and sustainable future for the Azores.

 12-10-2026

The third edition of the Scientific Merit Conference recognized the work of researcher Dr. Mafalda Raposo, which focused on identifying biomarkers associated with the progression of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.

On October 8, the Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation held the 2026 Scientific Merit Conference, an initiative that recognizes excellence in scientific research and values researchers’ contributions to the advancement of knowledge.

In this third edition, dedicated to the field of Medical and Health Sciences, the award, worth 6,000 euros, was presented to researcher Dr. Mafalda Raposo for her scientific work titled “Blood transcriptome sequencing identifies biomarkers able to track disease stages in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.”

The study explores the identification of biomarkers through the analysis of the blood transcriptome, with the aim of tracking the different stages of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, a hereditary neurodegenerative disease. The research contributes to deepening our understanding of the disease and to identifying potential tools to support its monitoring and the tracking of its progression.

The ceremony took place at the University of the Azores’ Scientific Complex and served as an occasion to recognize the work carried out by the scientific community, highlighting the importance of research for the production of knowledge and for addressing societal challenges.

The Scientific Merit Award is part of the Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation’s commitment to promoting research and its key contributors, fostering public recognition of outstanding scientific work, and encouraging the continuation of scientific activity.

This initiative is supported by the Azores Mutual Agricultural Credit Bank, whose contribution allows us to continue this recognition and reinforce the importance of collaboration among institutions in promoting science and knowledge.

The next edition, in 2027, will be dedicated to the field of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, continuing an initiative that seeks to recognize scientific merit across various fields of knowledge.

The Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation congratulates Dr. Mafalda Raposo and all the researchers involved in this distinguished work, and thanks the Azores Mutual Agricultural Credit Bank for its support and the trust it has placed in this initiative.

 09-10-2026

A project led by the Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation and the University of the Azores has received up to 300,000 euros in funding from the Belmiro de Azevedo Foundation and will study, over a three-year period, the persistence of native and endemic species in exotic forests and transitioning habitats on various islands in the Azores.
Ponta Delgada, September 2026 – When a rare species persists in a forest altered by humans, does that mean it has found a lasting refuge, or that its population is on the verge of disappearing? This is one of the central questions of LASTISLANDS – Legacy tAxa Survivors in Transitional ISLAND Systems, a scientific project that launched in the Azores on September 30 and aims to understand the conditions under which native and endemic species are able to persist in exotic forests and other transitional habitats.
The project is led by the Azores Biodiversity Group at the University of the Azores, part of CE3C—the Center for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Change—and coordinated by researcher Paulo Borges. With a duration of 36 months, LASTISLANDS receives financial support of up to 300,000 euros from the Belmiro de Azevedo Foundation, through a collaboration agreement with the Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation and the University of the Azores.

LAST-ISLANDS addresses a question with direct implications for biodiversity conservation: Can exotic forests and transitional habitats serve as true refuges for native species, or are they merely preserving remnant populations that may disappear in the future? The project aims to distinguish between populations capable of persistence and isolated populations that may be subject to what is known as an “extinction debt.”
The research will draw on existing data concentrated on Terceira Island and will be expanded to the islands of São Miguel, Santa Maria, São Jorge, Pico, and Flores, covering different contexts of exotic forests and transition habitats. The study will pay particular attention to spiders, beetles, and bryophytes—such as mosses—by integrating ecological, landscape, taxonomic, and genetic data.

Throughout the project, the team will seek to identify which landscape and habitat characteristics favor the persistence of these species and assess the role of factors such as the size and connectivity of forest patches, vegetation structure, moisture, and proximity to areas of native forest. The results will be used to develop decision-support models and maps capable of identifying areas where restoration, ecological connectivity, or monitoring may be priorities. In addition to scientific output, LAST-ISLANDS plans to make data available via open access, publish scientific papers, issue conservation recommendations, and host an exhibition dedicated to the “hidden” biodiversity that persists in the transformed landscapes of the Azores.

The project thus aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of biodiversity in the Azores and to provide scientific evidence to support future conservation decisions, particularly in habitat management, ecological restoration, and the enhancement of connectivity between natural areas.