VZCZCXRO3539
RR RUEHPD
DE RUEHLI #2162/01 2711612
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281612Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5204
INFO RUEHPD/AMCONSUL PONTA DELGADA 0262
RUEANAT/NASA WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 002162 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO OES (ANITA EISENSTADT) AND USDA TO FOREST SERVICE 
(DALE DAGUE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PREL TBIO TSPA PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUBCOMMITTEE 
MEETING HIGHLIGHTS 
 
REF: A. LISBON 1554 
 
     ¶B. LISBON 846 
     ¶C. LISBON 561 
     ¶D. LISBON 560 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1.  At the September 21 Bilateral Commission Science and 
Technology (S&T) Subcommittee Meeting, Embassy officials 
reviewed the Embassy Science Fellow program, NASA/C3P 
activities, forest fire cooperation, and fuel conversion at 
the nuclear research reactor.  The Portuguese delegation 
focused on the status of agreements with the Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology (MIT), Carnegie-Mellon University, 
and University of Texas/Austin.  Both sides praised the 
strong S&T component of the successful September 10-15 trip 
to Florida headed by Ambassadors Hoffman and Catarino.  End 
Summary. 
 
Committee Members 
----------------- 
¶2.  On September 21, Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
hosted the S&T Subcommittee meeting in preparation for the 
October 3 Bilateral Commission.  The US delegation was led by 
Pol/Econ Counselor and included EconChief, ESTH Officer, and 
National Institute of Health (NIH) Embassy Science Fellow. 
MFA North American Deputy Director Manuel Grainha do Vale 
headed the Portuguese delegation.  Other participants 
included representatives from the Ministry of Science, 
Technology, and Higher Education (MCTES) and from the 
Luso-American Foundation (FLAD). 
 
Embassy Science Fellows 
----------------------- 
¶3.  Pol/Econ Counselor opened the meeting by welcoming 
Kathleen Collins from the National Institutes of Health, the 
first Embassy Science Fellow in over a year.  Collins, an 
expert in infectious diseases and Africa, arrived in Portugal 
on September 5 to explore possibilities of joint health 
projects in lusophone Africa.  Her presence was well received 
by the Portuguese delegation which reiterated its desire for 
greater trilateral cooperation in Africa. 
 
¶4.  Underscoring the importance of the Embassy Science Fellow 
Program to the bilateral S&T relationship, the Embassy 
reiterated its commitment to expand the program by announcing 
three additional fellows by summer 2007.  Dr. Larry Suter 
from the National Science Foundation (NSF) arrives at the end 
of October 2006 to explore student participation in math and 
sciences and to increase linkages between schools and 
businesses.  In February 2007, Dr. Ann Mari Thro, a 
Department of Agriculture expert in biotechnology will focus 
on agricultural research and public outreach for biotech 
crops.  In April 2007, Liz Williams from NASA will come to 
Portugal as part of the NASA Leadership Development Program. 
 
NASA/C3P Activities 
------------------- 
¶5. Both sides expressed satisfaction with NASA's ongoing 
efforts in Portugal.  At the end of June, a team from NASA 
headquarters visited Portugal to assess current chrome-free 
coating system and printing press projects.  They also 
continued discussions for a new joint project involving wind, 
solar, and hydrogen cell technology.  The goal of this new 
project would be to create wind and solar power to support 
groundwater restoration and environmental clean-up at White 
Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. 
 
Forest Fire Cooperation 
----------------------- 
¶6. The MFA North Americas Deputy Director expressed 
appreciation for the USDA Forest Service donation of 300 
fire-resistant Nomex pants that arrived in July (reftel A). 
ESTH officer followed by highlighting a success story which 
resulted from the February/March visit by five USDA Forest 
Service experts on prescribed burns.  In March, American and 
Portuguese Forest Services created a fire break which halted 
a forest fire in Serra do Marao in early June.  The 
Portuguese Forest Service reported that the fire break 
stopped the fire from descending into a valley, preventing 
the 300 hectare fire from turning into a 3000 hectare 
conflagration. 
 
Nuclear Reactor Fuel Conversion 
------------------------------- 
¶7. The Portuguese delegation reported on a possible delay to 
the fuel conversion at Portugal's sole nuclear research 
 
LISBON 00002162  002 OF 002 
 
 
reactor.  Portugal has been coordinating with the US 
Departments of Energy and State and with the International 
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to convert the highly enriched 
uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) by January 2007 
(reftels B,C,D).  Snags in paperwork have caused a delay in 
the process.  Portugal and the State Department are awaiting 
European Commission clearance to proceed with the conversion 
program. 
 
Agreements with American Universities 
------------------------------------- 
¶8. MCTES representative briefed the S&T Subcommittee on the 
collaborative university agreements achieved as part of the 
Prime Minister's Technology Plan.  On October 11, Prime 
Minister Socrates is scheduled to sign the Portugal-MIT 
agreement targeting collaborative efforts in engineering and 
management. The agreement calls for the MIT Engineering 
Systems Division to work with various Portuguese schools of 
engineering and national laboratories in four main areas: 
industrial production, energy, transport, and engineering. 
The MIT Sloan School of Management also plans to work with 
Portuguese schools of economy and management on the 
development of an international MBA program.  The first 
activity for 2006 will be a series of doctoral seminars, 
entitled "Lisbon-Sloan Seminar Series in Management Science. 
Also in October, an agreement will be signed with 
Carnegie-Mellon University to focus on joint activities in 
communication and information technology.  In November, 
Portugal will conclude a collaborative agreement with 
University of Texas/Austin that centers on advanced digital 
media and S&T commercialization. 
 
Florida Trip 
------------ 
¶9.  Both sides noted the success of the September 10-15 trip 
to Florida led by Ambassadors Hoffman and Catarino. 
Collaboration between government, educational institutions, 
and business to spur innovation and economic growth was a key 
S&T-related theme, with the delegation visiting the 
University of Central Florida, the Miami-Dade Community 
College system, and Scripps Florida for a first-hand look. 
Both the FLAD and MCTES representatives stated their desire 
to replicate best practices here in Portugal.  As follow-on 
to the Florida visit, FLAD plans to explore the possibility 
of working with the U.S. National Foundation for Teaching 
Entrepreneurship (NFTE) to launch a program in Portugal 
similar to ones NFTE has in Belgium, Holland, and Ireland. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶10.  The S&T Subcommittee Meeting was collegial, focused, and 
yielded no surprises.  The Portuguese side was deeply 
appreciative of Ambassador Hoffman and Embassy efforts in 
organizing the Florida trip.  They noted that participants 
returned with a strong desire to follow)up with concrete 
action, with the aim of turning the goals of the Technology 
Plan into reality. 
O'Neal