INNOVATIVE SCIENTIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR AGRIFOOD RESEARCH
Rehabilitation of a Historic Building into an Agrifood Research Centre at ISA-ULisboa with LIISA – Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Agrifood Systems
WellAdvisedCo supported the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA) of the University of Lisbon in developing a strategic proposal for the Lisboa 2030 program, resulting in funding approval to create the “Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Agrifood Systems (LIISA)”. This project, with a total investment of €5.5 million, is transforming a 1951 historic building into a modern scientific infrastructure, positioning ISA at the forefront of European agrifood research.
The Challenge
ISA had already strategically defined in its development plan the redevelopment of the Rebelo da Silva historic building to establish itself as a centre of excellence that would consolidate the agrifood research activities scattered throughout the other buildings on campus. However, realising this ambitious vision required more than internal planning and architectural design: it required consolidating an idea with a technical and scientific foundation and securing competitive funding from the Lisbon 2030 program, where 26 scientific institutions in the Lisbon region were competing for the same limited funds.
The challenge was to transform a well-founded institutional strategy, in the conception of LIISA – Research Laboratory for Innovation in Agrifood Systems, into a technically robust and competitively winning application, combining ISA’s scientific excellence with the specific evaluation criteria of the Lisbon 2030 funding program, and distinguishing itself from a highly qualified field of competitors.
The Project
The LIISA project transforms the historic Rebelo da Silva building into a modern scientific infrastructure distributed across three floors, consolidating research activities scattered across the campus into a single strategic location. This rehabilitation establishes a centre of excellence in “agrifood sciences” that integrates “transformative research” in critical areas such as health, sustainability, biocircularity, and food innovation.
Main transformation components:
- Interdisciplinary Laboratories – Three floors organised by nature of study materials, optimising collaboration between research teams
- Strategic Transfer – Relocation of analytical equipment from other buildings to better operational conditions
- Transformative Research – Spaces dedicated to advanced knowledge production for regional economic impact
- ENOLL Integration – Alignment with the European Network of Living Labs, strengthening ISA’s innovative dimension
WellAdvisedCo’s Role
The executive board of the institution had already integrated the LIISA project into ISA’s strategic plan; still, our specialised intervention was decisive in transforming this vision into a winning proposal for the Lisboa 2030 program:
Strategic Consultancy to ISA Executive President
- Direct support to institutional leadership in structuring the project’s strategic narrative
- Alignment of the LIISA vision with specific evaluation criteria of the Lisboa 2030 program
- Development of project positioning strategy within the national competitive context
Multidisciplinary Technical-Scientific Articulation
- Specialised consultancy with ISA researcher teams across various project dimensions
- Harmonisation of different scientific perspectives into a cohesive and competitive proposal
- Translation of institutional scientific excellence into a language appropriate for program evaluators
Specialised Knowledge in European Funding
- Application of our expertise in funding programs for scientific infrastructures
- Guarantee of technical compliance and eligibility of all proposal components
- Optimisation of financial proposal and structuring of eligible investments within Lisboa 2030 criteria
Impact
This project represents a milestone in the modernisation of national scientific infrastructures, positioning ISA as a European reference centre for agrifood research. The €5.5 million investment, made possible by our specialised consultancy, demonstrates how WellAdvisedCo transforms strategic visions into funded realities.
LIISA establishes a new paradigm for scientific heritage rehabilitation, combining architectural preservation with technological innovation. This infrastructure significantly strengthens ISA’s research capabilities, contributing to innovative solutions for food sustainability challenges and the green transition of the agrifood sector.
Our ability to characterise complex scientific strategies and translate academic visions into winning proposals confirms WellAdvisedCo’s role as an essential strategic partner for research institutions aiming to lead innovation in their sector.
Client: Instituto Superior de Agronomia, University of Lisbon
Industry: Higher Education and Research, Agrifood Sciences, Sustainability
Program: Lisboa 2030 – Scientific Infrastructures and Equipment
