The Centre for Marine Technology and Ocean Engineering (CENTEC), is a research centre of IST, recognized and funded by the Portuguese Government through the Foundation for Science and Technology of the Portuguese Ministry of Science and Technology.

The Unit of Marine Technology and Engineering was founded in 1994 following a restructuring of the Portuguese research and development system, which led to the extinction of the National Institute of Scientific Research (INIC), from where the 3 PhD researchers that founded this Unit were transferred. In 2007, already with 20 PhD researchers, the Unit’s denomination changed to Centre as a result of IST’s newly created statutes. In late 2015, CENTEC had 44 PhD researchers, among its more than 100 researchers.

CENTEC concentrates its activities on developing scientific research, development and demonstration, and their application to sustainable exploration and exploitation of marine resources, through the various fields of interest such as maritime transport and ports, ocean space utilization, including coastal areas, exploration and exploitation of marine resources, and nautical activities, as well as the protection of the marine environment and its resources. These activities are made possible by the design, construction, maintenance and planning of operation of ships and other floating structures and submersibles that constitute the main objectives of CENTEC’s activities.

CENTEC puts significant emphasis on research activity in the areas of risk analysis, safety and reliability, including occupational safety, and promotes their application to the industrial and tertiary sectors.

One of the important objectives of CENTEC is to promote and encourage advanced education and training through research activities and to promote dissemination of scientific results through the participation and organization of technical and scientific meetings.

CENTEC is organized in the following research groups:

 • Marine Environment

 • Marine Dynamics and Hydrodynamics

 • Marine Structures

 • Safety and Logistics of Maritime Transportation