On February 5, 2026, the University of Coimbra announced the winners of the 7th edition of the Interdisciplinary Research Seed Projects (Projetos Semente de Investigação Interdisciplinar) programme, an initiative supported by Fundação Santander Portugal. The programme recognizes five interdisciplinary projects, one in each of the University's strategic areas: Health; Climate, Energy and Mobility; Natural Resources, Agri-Food and Environment; Digital, Industry and Space; and Heritage, Culture and Inclusive Society. Each selected project receives €20,000 in funding to develop innovative research with the potential for international impact. BEATS was selected as one of the five winning projects!
Following this achievement, the BEATS project officially kicked-off on February 27, marking the official start of this interdisciplinary initiative. The meeting brought together in person for the first time the project team, having only previously worked together exclusively online. Besides kick-starting the project, the meeting main goal was to review the proposed work plan, including milestone dates and deliverables, and discuss the status of the sample inventory (the squid beaks) to be used throughout its activities. Because a project is only successful if it is widely communicated, communication strategy and website development were also not forgotten, with ample discussions regarding the creation of the BEATS squid logo, branding ideas and opportunities for dissemination, such as upcoming events and potential collaborations.
