The Augmented Humanity - Augmanity project, a mobilizing project involving 22 partners, with the University of Aveiro (UA) as the strategic scientific partner, was selected as a reference project for the UA evaluation in the prestigious ranking The World's Universities with Real Impact (WURI), in the Industrial Applications category.

The World's Universities with Real Impact (WURI) team is collecting information for the 2022 edition. The WURI aims to evaluate the impact of innovative projects of higher education institutions in the areas of education and research of different categories.

Artur Silva, Vice-Rector for research and innovation, states that "it is projects like Augmanity that show the high quality of the research done at UA and that is put at the service of development and innovation of industries and the region".

The Augmanity project aims to boost scientific and technological capabilities and competences, with high technological and innovation content and with significant impacts at multisectoral and regional level, through effective forms of partnership and cooperation between companies and entities of the research and innovation system.

With an R&D investment of 8.2 Million Euros, the project is developed in the Industry 4.0 domain, but differs from most i4.0 projects by placing the human factor at the center of all scientific and technological developments and innovations that are being implemented by the 22 project partners. Collaborative robotics solutions, industrial ergonomics, data science, 5G/IIoT and connectivity, machine vision, or new skills for workers in an i4.0 environment are examples of product, process, or service innovations that are under development.

With a duration of three years, Augmanity started in 2020 and is co-financed by the Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program and the Lisbon Regional Operational Program of the PORTUGAL 2020, through the European Regional Development Fund.