University of Lisbon

What University of Lisbon does

The University of Lisbon (Universidade de Lisboa, ULisboa) is Portugal's largest public research university, formed in 2013 through the merger of Instituto Superior Técnico and the former Universidade de Lisboa. It operates under the Portuguese higher education framework (Lei n.º 62/2007) as an autonomous public institution under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. ULisboa comprises 19 constituent schools and 23 affiliated units (including IST, Faculdade de Letras, Faculdade de Ciências, Faculdade de Direito, ISEG, Faculdade de Medicina, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Faculdade de Arquitectura, Serviços de Acção Social, the Estádio Universitário, the Tropical Scientific Research Museum, and postgraduate and lifelong learning units), delivering 472 academic programmes to more than 51,000 students, of whom 11,000 are international.

The university's research base consists of 69 R&D units evaluated by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) and 21 associated laboratories, with reported output of 22,643 scientific articles between 2018 and 2021. Core research domains include agricultural biotechnology (notably MGI Tech sequencing work on Saharan dust effects on vineyards), silica flat optics (with Harvard labs), agro-modelling for Mediterranean climates, autonomous systems, and law and AI. ULisboa has reported strategic collaborations with Harvard, MGI Tech, the University of Macau, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, University of Coimbra, IPLUSO, and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Revenue is generated through regulated tuition (national and international student pricing, plus postgraduate/executive education via Escola de Pós-Graduação), Portuguese state funding, FCT research grants, and EU programme participation (ERC, Horizon Europe, Unite.WIDENING). Distribution is predominantly campus-based across multiple Lisbon sites, supplemented by the AGORA digital Campus Hub developed through the Unite! project and Erasmus+ international mobility. Marketing is conducted through the university website and Notícias ULisboa newsletter, national and international education fairs, the annual Jornadas Científicas conference, and an active social media presence.

Name

University of Lisbon

Legal name

Universidade de Lisboa

Website

https://ulisboa.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

University of Lisbon is Portugal's largest public research university, operating 19 schools and 472 programmes serving over 51,000 students, supported by 69 FCT-evaluated research units and 21 associated laboratories with extensive international and EU research partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI), University & Academic Conference Venues (THAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Higher education
• University degrees
• Academic research
• Postgraduate programs
• Scientific publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Public university funded primarily through government funding with tuition fees from students. Fees are regulated by Portuguese law and publicly disclosed through official channels.
2. Research Grants and Funding: Funding from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) for research units, European Union research programs (ERC grants, Horizon Europe), and international partnerships
3. EU-Funded Project Participation: Participation in EU-funded projects such as Unite.WIDENING bringing international research collaboration funding

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The University of Lisbon is Portugal's largest public university, delivering higher education across 19 schools and 472 academic programs (undergraduate, integrated master's, master's, doctoral, and postgraduate) to more than 51,000 students. It operates 69 FCT-evaluated research units and 21 associated laboratories producing peer-reviewed scientific output, and supplements degree programs with specialized offerings such as PerCursos Singulares for students with special needs, the Verão na ULisboa summer program, and the M50 lifelong-learning program.

Product overview

The University of Lisbon (ULisboa) is Portugal's largest university system with 19 schools offering 472 courses to over 51,000 students. Its educational portfolio spans undergraduate degrees (Licenciaturas), integrated master's programs, standalone master's, doctoral programs, and postgraduate offerings. The institution operates specialized programs including PerCursos Singulares for students with intellectual and psychosocial difficulties, the ULisboa Research Portal connecting to 69 research units, and the Verão na ULisboa summer program. ULisboa also supports pedagogical innovation through its Pedagogical Innovation Award and ULTRA program for faculty development. The university maintains international mobility through Erasmus+ and other exchange programs, with 11,000 international students enrolled across its schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ULisboa School Xangai: Partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University for educational collaboration in Shanghai, China
• Instituto Confúcio

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs (Licenciaturas) First-cycle higher-education degrees (Licenciaturas) covering all knowledge areas, offered to Portuguese and international students admitted through the national access competition or dedicated international admission channels.
• Integrated Master's Programs (Mestrados Integrados) Long-cycle master's-level programs (e.g., medicine, engineering, architecture) combining undergraduate and master's studies into a single accredited degree.
• Master's Degree Programs (Mestrados) Second-cycle (postgraduate) master's degrees for holders of undergraduate qualifications, available across ULisboa's 19 schools.
• Doctoral Programs (Doutoramentos) Third-cycle doctoral programs supporting advanced research, typically linked to ULisboa's 69 research units and 21 associated laboratories.
• Postgraduate and Executive Education Specialized postgraduate and continuing-education programs delivered through the Escola de Pós-Graduação (School of Postgraduate Studies) with program-specific annual pricing.
• PerCursos Singulares Inclusive education pathway for individuals aged 16+ with intellectual and psychosocial difficulties, providing individualized academic support, internships, work experience, and volunteering opportunities.
• Verão na ULisboa (Summer at ULisboa) Week-long summer program offering hands-on educational experiences for prospective students across multiple disciplines including agronomy and veterinary medicine.
• ULisboa Research Portal Centralized online portal providing public access to ULisboa's research outputs, publications, and information about its 69 research units and 21 associated laboratories.
• M50 - Entender o Mundo no Séc. XXI Lifelong-learning program for adults aged 50+ ("Understanding the World in the 21st Century") offering university-level continuing education outside standard degree pathways.

Quantifiable outcome

• 51,000+ total students, including 11,000+ international students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• University of MacauflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026Joint undergraduate programme in clinical medicine with mutual recognition of qualifications by authorities in Hong Kong, Macao, mainland China, Portugal, and all European Union member states. This partnership was signed during an official visit to Lisbon led by Macao SAR Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai.
• University of CoimbracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026Joint centre for law and artificial intelligence established through cooperation agreements between Portuguese universities during the Macao SAR Chief Executive's official visit to Lisbon.
• IPLUSO Instituto Politécnico da LusofoniaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026Tripartite memorandum on Chinese medicine involving IPLUSO Instituto Politécnico da Lusofonia and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, signed alongside the University of Lisbon and University of Macau cooperation agreements.
• MGI TechcoreTechnology or Integration · 23 January 2026MGI Tech is assisting ULisboa in using advanced sequencing technology to study the effects of Saharan dust on Portuguese agriculture, particularly on vineyards. The project aims to identify and monitor microorganisms transported by dust, assess risks, and develop biotechnological solutions to improve resilience and productivity. Initiative includes creating a system of microbial intelligence for broader agricultural innovation.
• Harvard UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2026Collaborative research with Harvard labs discovered that silica can be used to make optical metasurfaces that control light at the nanoscale, challenging previous assumptions about material properties. Low-refractive index silica metasurfaces can outperform high-refractive index materials in certain applications, offering advantages in fabrication and robustness for scalable and cost-effective flat optics.
• Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Poland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025EU-funded Unite.WIDENING project bringing together researchers from both institutions to build research communities across institutional and disciplinary boundaries. Focus areas include health and biotech, urban and resource sustainability, circular economy and materials, and digital and autonomous technologies. Digital Campus Hub initiative conducted at both universities through AGORA digital platform.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• University of Macau: A public research university in Macau with which ULisboa operates a flagship clinical medicine partnership with mutual credential recognition; comparable as a public research university with strong Asia ties.

Emerging players

• ETH Zurich: A public research university of similar tier in continental Europe; comparable on the public research university model with strong global rankings, although narrower in disciplinary breadth than ULisboa.

Direct peers

• University of Coimbra: One of the world's oldest universities and Portugal's other long-established comprehensive public research university; directly comparable on multi-disciplinary scope, scale, and is an actual cooperation partner of ULisboa.
• Universidade Católica Portuguesa: Portugal's leading private research university operating in Lisbon and other cities; competes for the same top-tier domestic and international students with comparable disciplinary coverage.
• NOVA University Lisbon: A Lisbon-based public research university with strong research concentration and a multi-school structure, directly competing for the same domestic and international student pool as ULisboa.
• University of Porto: The University of Porto is the other leading comprehensive public research university in Portugal, with a similarly large multi-school structure and broad research portfolio — the closest peer to ULisboa in domestic context.

Broad incumbents

• University of Edinburgh: A leading European research university with comparable scale, comprehensive multi-school structure, strong international student base, and similarly ranked international standing.
• Complutense University of Madrid: Large comprehensive public research university in the Iberian peer set; similar in scale, school structure, and Iberian public research university model — directly comparable on institution type.
• Sorbonne University: A flagship French public research university formed through a similar large-scale merger of established institutions; structurally comparable in scale, disciplinary breadth, and merger-integration profile.
• University of Barcelona: A major Southern European comprehensive public research university with broad disciplinary coverage and a multi-campus structure analogous to ULisboa.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UniversidadedeLisboa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universidade-de-lisboa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Lisbon