The National School of Public Health of NOVA University Lisbon (NOVA NSPH) is starting the implementation of the Public Health Knowledge Centre (CCSP), an excellence infrastructure dedicated to the production, application and transfer of scientific knowledge in public health, focusing on responding to emerging and structural challenges in global public health. The project represents a total investment of €1.47 million, co-financed at 40% by the Lisbon Regional Programme 2021–2027 (LISBOA2030) through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Located on the NOVA NSPH campus, in Lumiar, the CCSP will be a space dedicated to the generation of robust knowledge and its practical application, contributing to the advancement of precision public health, that is, to the development of strategies, policies and solutions adapted to the specific needs of populations, based on robust scientific data and technological innovation.
The Centre’s main mission will be to transform scientific knowledge into real impact, with NOVA NSPH leading the creation of concrete solutions to problems such as the impact of climate and environmental changes on health, the increase of non-communicable diseases and mental health problems, inequalities in access to health care, the social, economic and environmental determinants of health, and the urgent need to develop more efficient, resilient and sustainable health systems.
The Dean of NOVA NSPH considers that this project represents a milestone in the School’s path of consolidation as a national and international reference in the field of public health. “This strategic investment strengthens our capacity to produce knowledge with real impact on the lives of people and communities. We are creating an action-oriented centre – where knowledge is not accumulated, it is transformed. We want to lead with impact, anticipate challenges, and propose concrete solutions. The CCSP will be a space of excellence, shared with society, decision-makers and local and global partners”, states Sónia Dias.
To respond to the identified needs, the CCSP will host research and development laboratories equipped with advanced technology, capacity-building and training spaces with innovative methodologies, and areas dedicated to co-creation, experimentation and interdisciplinary work. There will also be a strong investment in infrastructures that support advanced data processing and networked scientific work, creating conditions for greater collaboration with academic institutions, public services, municipalities, associations and other entities.
The project will start in January 2025 and foresees, by 2027, the creation of the necessary conditions for the full operation of the Centre. Through European co-financing, several central spaces of NOVA NSPH will be requalified, promoting environments dedicated to knowledge transfer and innovation. The library will be reconfigured as a living knowledge hub, more interactive and adapted to new forms of learning and scientific production. Areas dedicated to applied and collaborative work will also be refurbished. The project also includes the acquisition of specialised scientific equipment and the strengthening of human capital, ensuring an integrated response that combines infrastructure, knowledge and skills in a model oriented towards efficiency, innovation and sustainability.
The Public Health Knowledge Centre will thus be equipped with the means necessary to fulfil its mission and to establish itself as a centre of scientific and educational excellence, contributing to positioning NOVA NSPH as a national and international hub in public health.
