Provisional results of the “Digital Twins for Smart Territories” competition

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) has published the provisional results of the competition “DigitalTwins4SmartTerritories (DT4ST): Digital Twins for Smart Territories”, promoted in partnership with the Agency for Administrative Modernization (AMA), within the scope of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).

Launched with the aim of supporting the development of digital twins — virtual representations of physical systems, processes or territories — this competition received 56 applications, highlighting the strong involvement of the scientific and technological community in the digital transformation of territories in Portugal. The initiative contributes to the objectives of the National Strategy for Intelligent Territories (ENTI), promoting innovative solutions with a direct impact on public management and the quality of life of citizens.

Eight projects will be financed, covering eight different areas: Health, Mobility, Decarbonisation, Tourism, Civil Protection, Climate Resilience, Agriculture and Water Management. Each project may benefit from funding of up to €1.5 million. Given the quality and relevance of the proposals received, the amount initially planned was increased by €1.745 million, bringing the total investment to around €10.4 million.

The applications covered a broad spectrum of ENTI’s priority areas, with a focus on Climate Resilience and Health, which received nine applications each. This was followed by Civil Protection and Water (eight applications), Tourism (six), Agriculture, Decarbonisation and Mobility (five each), and Energy (two applications).

The evaluation was conducted by a panel of independent experts appointed by the FCT, which included 25 members of the national scientific community, including the two coordinators. The evaluation was carried out based on criteria such as scientific and technical merit, degree of innovation, feasibility of the work plan and expected impact. The evaluation process took place within three weeks after the end of the application submission period, a significant result considering the number of applications and the diversity of thematic areas.

The selected projects must be completed by March 31, 2026, and expenses incurred up to June 30, 2026 will be eligible. The results obtained will be made available in open formats, without access or cost restrictions, ensuring their reuse by public entities and supporting the formulation of more effective public policies.

The DT4ST competition is funded under measure TD-C19-i08 “Smart Territories” of the PRR – Recovery and Resilience Plan , resulting from a protocol established between the FCT and AMA. The contracting and monitoring of the funded projects will be the responsibility of AMA. With this initiative, the FCT and AMA reinforce their commitment to the digital transition and sustainable development of territories, promoting the articulation between science, technology and public administration.

The list of the eight applications selected for funding can be consulted on the official competition page (“results” tab).