João Bimbo, LASIGE integrated member, represented LASIGE at the ULisboa 2026 Scientific Conference, dedicated to the theme ‘Scientific Cooperation in a Changing World’, held on 16 June 2026 in Lisbon.

The event explored partnerships between universities, the public sector, industry and other key stakeholders, at both national and international levels, bringing together discussions on the role of universities in R&I, the need for coherent internationalization strategies, and ULisboa’s position within the European Research Area.

In this context, our researcher decided to share his experience with European cooperation in the field of assistive robotics and his participation in the HARIA project, funded by the ‘Horizon Europe’ programme, which is developing robotic appendages and sensorimotor interfaces for people with spinal cord injuries or the after-effects of a stroke.

The project is coordinated by the University of Siena, since October 2022, and the consortium brings together academic, clinical and industrial partners at the intersection of robotics, neuroengineering, rehabilitation and human-robot interaction: IIT, KIT, Lund University, Fondazione Santa Lucia, SESCAM, Ottobock and, since April 2024, LASIGE (FCiências.ID/FCUL).

LASIGE’s participation came about through the ‘Hop-on Facility’ mechanism of the HORIZON-WIDERA programme, which allows institutions from Widening countries to join already-funded consortia after the project has started.

The LASIGE team contributes to research in the field of robotic manipulator learning and control, developing a framework for fault detection and management.