CENSE - Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research

What CENSE - Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research does

CENSE – Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research is an academic research center established in 2007 and hosted within the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at NOVA School of Science and Technology (FCT NOVA), part of NOVA University Lisbon in Caparica, Portugal. It conducts interdisciplinary research on the interaction between human and ecological systems across five thematic areas: Bioresources and Green Technologies, Computation for Sustainability, Ecological Economics and Environmental Management, Energy and Climate, and Sustainable Water Sanitation, Wastes and Resources Recovery. Its core technology base includes 20 patents, 6 mathematical models, 9 computational applications, and 1 laboratory prototype produced over the past decade, alongside open-science platforms such as the EU Energy Poverty Indicators Database, SU Electricidade database, PRIORITEE Decision Support Tool, CEMOWAS2 Platform, EPAH Atlas, Emissions Scenarios Portal (with WRI and Google), and Africa's Coexistence Landscapes simulation models.

CENSE serves academic researchers, graduate students (350+ MSc and 80+ PhD supervised since 2013), national and EU public policymakers (APA, PlanAPP, INIAV, DGADR, FCT), and the wider innovation ecosystem through technology transfer and spin-off creation (YDreams, Ynvisible, Azorean, Lasting Values, 2eco, Explora Inc., Tuga Innovations, RegenIntel). It is a constituent unit of the CHANGE Associate Laboratory (LA/P/0121/2020) alongside cE3c and MED, and coordinates the EIT Climate-KIC Hub Portugal and the EU Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH).

CENSE does not generate commercial revenue. Its operating budget is funded by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia through Strategic Project grants (UID/04085/2025 and UID/PRR/04085/2025, including EU NextGenerationEU via Portugal's Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência) and by competitive project funding from EU programs (HORIZON-MISS, PRIMA, EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Raw Materials) and FLAD. Its go-to-market is community-led: research, training, policy support, and societal outreach rather than commercial sales, with no publicly disclosed pricing or financial metrics.

Name

CENSE - Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research

Legal name

CENSE – Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research

Website

https://cense.fct.unl.pt

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CENSE is an interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability research center at NOVA School of Science and Technology in Portugal, producing data platforms, decision-support tools, patents, and trained researchers. It serves EU and national policymakers, academia, and the innovation ecosystem via institutional and EU grant funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental and Sustainability Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Control & Climate Systems (HVAC, CO₂, Ventilation, Dehumidification) (AFAAAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental, Health & Safety / Sustainability (EHS, Environmental Compliance CE) (EDAAALAO)

Keywords

• Environmental research
• Sustainability research
• Energy poverty research
• Circular economy research
• Climate change research

Headquarters

HQ city

Caparica

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: Funded by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. under Strategic Project UID/04085/2025 and UID/PRR/04085/2025. Also funded through European Union NextGenerationEU mechanism via Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência.
2. Research Project Funding: Multiple EU and national research projects including HORIZON-MISS, PRIMA, Climate-KIC, EIT Raw Materials, and various national funding programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CENSE is an academic research center that conducts interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability research across five thematic areas (Ecological Economics and Environmental Management, Energy and Climate, Computation for Sustainability, Bioresources and Green Technologies, and Sustainable Water Sanitation, Wastes and Resources Recovery). It delivers open-access databases, decision-support tools, simulation models, and digital platforms alongside advanced graduate training (MSc and PhD programs), international summer schools, and the Climate-KIC Hub Portugal innovation program.

Product overview

CENSE – Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research is an academic research center at NOVA School of Science and Technology, not a commercial product company. Its offerings consist primarily of research platforms, knowledge bases, decision support tools, and educational programs. Key research platforms include the EU Energy Poverty Indicators Database, SU Electricidade Database, PRIORITEE Decision Support Tool, CEMOWAS2 Platform and Toolbox, and the Emissions Scenarios Portal (developed with World Resources Institute and Google). The center also offers digital tools such as the Menu de Renovação Verde (Green Menu) online toolbox and physical services like Ponto de Transição one-stop-shop for energy poverty. Educational offerings span multiple MSc programs (national, European, and international), PhD programs, and international summer schools including the CENSE Advanced Training Summer School. The center has developed 20 patents, 6 mathematical models, 9 computational applications, and 1 laboratory prototype over the past decade, and supports various spin-off companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emissions Scenarios Portal An open-access portal for exploring emissions scenarios, co-developed by CENSE with the World Resources Institute and Google to support climate and emissions research.
• EU Energy Poverty Indicators Database An open-access database providing energy poverty indicators for European countries to support policy analysis and decision-making.
• SU Electricidade Database A database on electricity consumption and sustainability metrics for research and policy support.
• PRIORITEE Decision Support Tool A decision support tool designed to assist public authorities in priority-setting for energy efficiency and sustainability planning.
• CEMOWAS2 Platform and Toolbox A circular ecosystem management platform and toolbox for wastewater and organic waste services, providing tools for sustainable resource management.
• Africa's Coexistence Landscapes Simulation Models Simulation models for analyzing coexistence landscapes in Africa, supporting environmental and sustainability research.
• eco.nomia Portal A knowledge platform promoting circular economy thinking in business and policy, powered by CENSE.
• Menu de Renovação Verde (Green Menu) A digital one-stop-shop toolbox for home renovation, helping households improve energy efficiency.
• Ponto de Transição A physical one-stop-shop for energy poverty mitigation, providing direct support services to households.
• EPAH (Energy Poverty Advisory Hub) Atlas A mapping tool for energy poverty across Europe, launched as part of the EU Energy Poverty Advisory Hub project.
• Advanced Training Programs MSc programs (6 national, 2 European, 1 Spanish), PhD programs (4 national), and international summer schools delivered by CENSE and NOVA, with over 350 MSc and 80 PhD students supervised since 2013.
• Climate-KIC Hub Portugal A CENSE-coordinated innovation initiative in Portugal developing startups in climate and sustainability areas, including programs such as WinDeprot, SUSHI, and CLIMATHON.

Quantifiable outcome

• 350+ MSc and 80+ PhD students completed degrees under CENSE supervision since 2013
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CHANGE - Institute for Global Change and SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHANGE is the Associate Laboratory that CENSE is part of, integrating with cE3c and MED research units. It serves as the umbrella organization for global change and sustainability research, promoting collaboration across multiple R&D centers.
• NOVA School of Science and Technology (FCT NOVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCENSE is the research branch of NOVA School of Science and Technology, drawing researchers, students, and staff from this institution. The center operates within the university's Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering.
• YDreams (Spin-off)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpin-off company emerged from CENSE activities, developing technology solutions.
• Ynvisible (Spin-off)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpin-off company emerged from CENSE activities.
• RegenIntel (Spin-off)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpin-off company (Regenerative Intelligence) founded by CENSE researcher João Pedro Gouveia, focused on global sustainability advisory.
• APA - Agência Portuguesa do AmbientecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on ECO360 - National Strategy for Green Public Procurement 2030. Portuguese Environmental Agency working with CENSE on sustainable public procurement policy.
• LNEG - Laboratório Nacional de Energia e GeologiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on ECO360 - National Strategy for Green Public Procurement 2030 alongside APA and CENSE.
• PlanAPP - Centro de Competências de PlaneamentocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Solo & Água 2030 project to identify public policy objectives for soil and water climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
• INIAV - Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e VeterináriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Evento Agenda Solo in partnership with CHANGE, PlanAPP, and DGADR, aligned with EU Soil Mission.
• DGADR - Direção-Geral de Agricultura e Desenvolvimento RuralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Evento Agenda Solo aligned with EU Soil Mission.
• EIT Climate-KICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCENSE coordinates Climate-KIC Hub Portugal since 2016. Multiple projects funded through Climate-KIC including WinDeprot, SUSHI, and ideation activities like CLIMATHON.
• BONEX International ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRIMA-funded project with partners in Portugal, Morocco, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Spain, and Tunisia implementing WEFE Nexus solutions.
• EPAH - European Energy Poverty Advisory HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCENSE leads the EU Energy Poverty Advisory Hub focusing on energy poverty mitigation through research and policy support.
• World Resources InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Emissions Scenarios Portal alongside Google, providing open access to emissions scenario data.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research: UK multi-university research partnership delivering interdisciplinary climate research and policy advice. Comparable in mission structure, multi-institutional research model, and policy-facing outputs similar to CENSE's work.
• Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK): German research institute studying climate change, climate impacts, and sustainable transformation. Comparable in climate/energy research focus and emphasis on modelling, although significantly larger and better funded than CENSE.
• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA): Autonomous international research institute based in Austria conducting interdisciplinary systems analysis on energy, climate, and sustainable development. Highly comparable to CENSE in mission, scale (~300 staff), and policy-facing research output.
• Stockholm Environment Institute: Independent research organisation focused on environment and development policy, with strong European and global project portfolios. Comparable to CENSE in applied, policy-driven sustainability research and project-based funding model.
• Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change (CMCC): Italy-based research foundation on climate science and policy across the Mediterranean. Closely comparable to CENSE's geographic focus and Mediterranean project portfolio (e.g., BONEX consortium).
• Utrecht University Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development: Dutch university institute conducting interdisciplinary research on sustainability transitions, energy, and environmental governance. Comparable in scale and academic research-model to CENSE.

Broad incumbents

• Wageningen University & Research: Large Dutch university and research institute specialised in life sciences, environmental sciences, and sustainability. Overlaps with CENSE in bioresources, water, and sustainability research but operates at much greater scale and scope.
• Spanish National Research Council (CSIC): Spain's largest public research institution, with institutes covering environmental, climate, and sustainability science. Comparable to CENSE's Iberian context and EU-funded research focus, though vastly broader in scope.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB): German applied research institute working on environmental biotechnology, water, and circular economy. Comparable to CENSE in bioresources and water/waste research areas, but part of the much larger Fraunhofer network.
• ETH Zurich - Department of Environmental Systems Science: Top European university department focused on environmental systems, climate, and sustainability. Significantly larger than CENSE but overlapping in interdisciplinary sustainability research and training output.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CENSEFCTNOVA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CENSEFCTNOVA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/censefctnova

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CENSE - Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research