Portuguese research institute specializing in advanced materials testing, manufacturing process validation, and industrial quality assurance across aerospace, energy, and nanomaterials sectors.
ISQ is Portugal's leading applied research and technology organization specializing in welding, materials testing, industrial quality assurance, and inspection services. In H2020, they bring deep expertise in advanced manufacturing processes — from soldering and coatings to additive manufacturing and nanomaterials — combined with strong capabilities in energy efficiency for buildings and industrial systems. They serve as the bridge between laboratory-scale material innovations and industrial-scale production, providing testing, characterization, process monitoring, and standardization services. Their work spans from aircraft structural components to building retrofit solutions and circular economy applications.
Core competence across FineSol (solder powders), PROCETS (coatings), LightMe (casting/additive manufacturing), MULTI-FUN (multi-material AM), FLAMINGo (aluminium composites), LightCoce (ceramics), and BIOMAC (bio-nanomaterials).
Sustained involvement from NANOGUARD2AR through PureNano (magnetic nanoparticles), MULTI-FUN, DIAGONAL (nanosafety/safe-by-design), and BIOMAC.
MOEEBIUS (building energy simulation), Surefit (affordable retrofit, coordinated by ISQ), and ECF4CLIM (sustainability education).
MAESTRI (resource management in process industries, coordinated), SCALER (industrial symbiosis, coordinated), and SEA2LAND (bio-fertilizers from fishery waste).
GAM AIR 2018 and GAM-2020-AIR (airframe ITD) plus AIRMES (airline maintenance optimization).
GREENH2ATLANTIC — a large-scale 100 MW green hydrogen project positioning ISQ in the hydrogen value chain.
In their early H2020 period (2014–2018), ISQ focused on traditional strengths: soldering and joining processes (FineSol), protective coatings (PROCETS), building energy simulation (MOEEBIUS), and industrial energy management (MAESTRI, WaterWatt). From 2019 onward, there is a clear pivot toward advanced and multifunctional materials — additive manufacturing, lightweight metal composites, bio-based nanomaterials, and safe-by-design approaches for nanoparticles. The recent portfolio also shows growing engagement with sustainability themes: building retrofit, circular economy fertilizers, and large-scale green hydrogen.
ISQ is evolving from a traditional welding and inspection institute into a multifunctional advanced materials hub with growing green energy and circular economy credentials — expect them to pursue partnerships in sustainable manufacturing and hydrogen infrastructure.
ISQ operates primarily as an active partner (19 of 23 projects), bringing testing, characterization, and process validation capabilities to large consortia. With 365 unique partners across 34 countries, they are a well-connected hub rather than a loyal-partner organization — they adapt to different consortium configurations easily. Their four coordinator roles (MAESTRI, SCALER, TRUST, Surefit) cluster in industrial sustainability and building retrofit, suggesting they take leadership when the topic aligns with their institutional mission rather than seeking coordination broadly.
ISQ has collaborated with 365 unique partners across 34 countries, making them one of the most broadly connected Portuguese research organizations in H2020. Their network spans all major EU research nations with particularly strong links to manufacturing and materials consortia.
ISQ combines rare dual expertise: they understand both the materials science (nanomaterials, composites, ceramics, coatings) and the industrial quality assurance needed to bring those materials to production. Unlike university labs that stop at proof-of-concept, ISQ provides the testing, standardization, process monitoring, and certification that manufacturers need to adopt new materials. Their origin as a welding institute gives them hands-on industrial credibility that pure research centers lack, making them an ideal partner for projects that need to cross the gap between lab results and factory floor.
