NOVA Medical School

What NOVA Medical School does

NOVA Medical School (Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NMS) is a Portuguese public medical school founded in 1979 as part of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, headquartered at Campo Mártires da Pátria in Lisbon with a second campus under construction in Carcavelos (Nova Health Campus, groundbreaking November 2022). The institution delivers a six-year Integrated Master's Degree in Medicine (Mestrado Integrado em Medicina), a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition Sciences, four specialized master's programs (Biomedical Research, Human Nutrition and Metabolism, Clinical Research Management/MEGIC, Medical Microbiology), and doctoral programs in Biomedicine, Health Sciences, and Medicine. Teaching faculty total 745, with 186 dedicated researchers and a wider investigator network of 2,457 MDs and PhDs organized into 42 research groups. The school is the highest-scoring entry pathway to medicine in the Lisbon region at 180.3 access score.

Research output is substantial: 2,457 scientific publications between 2020 and 2024, 110 active research projects, 15 active patents, 2 spin-off companies, 7 research infrastructures, and a 40,000-sample biobank. Clinical research and training are anchored by 25 affiliated health units and 20 partner hospitals in the Lisbon region, including the Lisbon Cancer Hospital (IPO Lisboa) and Lisbon Local Health Units. Revenue is diversified across four streams: government-regulated tuition and academic fees; competitive research grants from the European Research Council, ESCI, and Marie Curie programs; clinical services delivered through affiliated health units; and innovation and technology transfer via licensing, spin-offs, and industry partnerships. Strategic initiatives include the Haddad NOVA Medical Innovation Center (backed by the Haddad Foundation), the School of the Future with ten thematic Knowledge Centers, HubP2C (Preclinical-to-Clinical Hub), and Erasmus+ international academic partnerships.

The go-to-market motion is sales-led and operates through multiple institutional channels: the Portuguese national Numerus Clausus admission system for undergraduates, direct enrollment for graduate and continuing education, international student recruitment via NOVA University's global partnerships, and Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships for researcher recruitment. Core customer segments include undergraduate medical and nutrition students, master's and doctoral researchers, clinical and biomedical investigators (MDs and PhDs), and the general public accessing community clinical services. The institution's strategic positioning rests on translational research excellence, integration with the largest healthcare stakeholder network in Portugal, and a formalized 'Fast-to-First-in-Human' innovation pathway operated through the Haddad Center.

Name

NOVA Medical School

Legal name

NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas

Website

https://nms.unl.pt

Company type

Public

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

NOVA Medical School is a Portuguese public medical school within Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, delivering an Integrated Master's in Medicine, bachelor's in Nutrition Sciences, master's and doctoral programs, with 2,457 investigators, 25 affiliated health units, and a 40,000-sample biobank.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical and Health Sciences Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (62211)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Schools (MD/DO Granting) (EDAHAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI), Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC), Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Medical education
• Biomedical research
• Clinical research management
• Nutrition sciences
• Healthcare innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate program tuition, including international student fees and mobility program charges
2. Research Grants and Funding: European Research Council (ERC) grants, ESCI Exploratory Research Grants, Marie Curie Fellowships, and other competitive research funding
3. Clinical Services Revenue: Revenue from affiliated health units and clinical services provided to the community
4. Innovation and Technology Transfer: Commercialization of healthcare innovations through licensing, spin-off companies, and collaborative research contracts with industry partners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NOVA Medical School is a public medical and health sciences university offering degree programs (Integrated Master's in Medicine, Bachelor's in Nutrition Sciences, specialized master's, doctoral, and advanced continuing education), translational biomedical and clinical research services supported by a 40,000-sample biobank and 7 research infrastructures, community clinical services through 25 affiliated health units, and healthcare innovation via the Haddad NOVA Medical Innovation Center and the School of the Future initiative.

Product overview

NOVA Medical School is a medical and health sciences university institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and research services. The core offerings include an Integrated Master's Degree in Medicine and a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition Sciences, supplemented by specialized Master's programs (NOVA Biomedical Research, Human Nutrition and Metabolism, Clinical Research Management MEGIC, Medical Microbiology), Doctoral programs (Biomedicine, Health Sciences, Medicine), and Advanced Education courses. Beyond traditional education, the school operates branded initiatives including the Haddad NOVA Medical Innovation Center (innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem), the School of the Future (educational innovation initiative with Knowledge Centers), Summer Medical School, and Senior Medical School. Research support is provided through HubP2C (Preclinical-to-Clinical Hub), NMS Library Services with bibliometrics and publication support, and clinical services through affiliated healthcare units. The Nutrition Shark Tank competition represents the school's innovation-focused extracurricular programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• School of the Future: Visionary initiative for transforming medical education through innovation in education, research, and healthcare delivery
• Haddad NOVA Medical Innovation Center
• NOVA Biomedical Research
• Exponential Medicine (u.me)

Products and services

• Integrated Master's Degree in Medicine (Mestrado Integrado em Medicina) Six-year undergraduate medical degree program that qualifies graduates as physicians; the primary degree offering of NOVA Medical School.
• Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition Sciences (Licenciatura em Ciências da Nutrição) Three-year bachelor's program preparing students for careers in dietetics and public health nutrition.
• Master's in Biomedical Research (NOVA Biomedical Research) Master's program focused on biomedical research methodologies and advanced scientific investigation.
• Master's in Human Nutrition and Metabolism Master's program specializing in human nutrition and metabolic processes.
• Master's in Clinical Research Management (MEGIC) Master's program focused on the administration and execution of clinical trials.
• Master's in Medical Microbiology Master's program specializing in medical microbiology and infectious disease research.
• Doctoral Programs in Biomedicine, Health Sciences, and Medicine Doctoral degree programs offering advanced research opportunities across biomedicine, health sciences, and medicine.
• Advanced Education (Formação Avançada) Continuing education and professional development programs for healthcare professionals.
• School of the Future Initiative Visionary initiative addressing gaps in contemporary medical education through team-based learning, digital technology research, and global partnerships, organized around ten strategic Knowledge Centers.
• Haddad NOVA Medical Innovation Center Innovation ecosystem established with support from the Haddad Foundation that fosters entrepreneurship, promotes collaborative research, and drives healthcare innovation from concept to market implementation using a Fast-to-First-in-Human approach.
• HubP2C (Preclinical-to-Clinical Hub) Collaborative ecosystem bridging preclinical and clinical research bringing together healthcare professionals, clinical researchers, and data experts.
• NMS Library Services Specialized biomedical library providing research support, bibliometrics, publication assistance, and access to scientific databases and collections.
• Clinical Services Clinical services provided to the community through 25 affiliated healthcare units and partner hospitals in the Lisbon region.
• Summer Medical School Intensive summer program offering medical education and training experiences for students.
• Senior Medical School Educational program designed for senior citizens focused on health and medical topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 180.3 access score (best in Lisbon region for Medicine)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2025Partner in 2nd Staff Week for Medical Librarians Erasmus+ BIP program, providing international training collaboration.
• Medical University of SilesiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2025Partner in 2nd Staff Week for Medical Librarians Erasmus+ BIP program, providing international training collaboration.
• CHRC (Comprehensive Health Research Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHRC is a comprehensive health research center that collaborates with NOVA Medical School on broad health research initiatives including clinical, public health, and health services research.
• INOVA4healthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic health innovation partnership focused on translational research and health technology development.
• LS4FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for life sciences research targeting future health solutions and sustainable healthcare.
• REALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch alliance focused on real-world evidence and health data analytics.
• COLAB TrialsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative clinical trials platform partnership for accelerating clinical research.
• VColabmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirtual collaboration platform for health research and innovation activities.
• CCALminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth collaboration initiative focused on clinical and academic linkages.
• EATRIScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean research infrastructure for translational medicine, providing access to expertise and facilities across Europe.
• EIT HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Institute of Innovation and Technology Health initiative supporting healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship.
• European Reference Networks (ERNs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean networks of healthcare providers for rare disease expertise sharing and collaboration.
• IPO Lisboa (Instituto Português de Oncologia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLisbon Cancer Hospital - primary cancer research and treatment partner hospital for clinical research activities.
• Universidade NOVA de LisboacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent university providing institutional governance, shared services, and cross-faculty collaboration opportunities.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona - Facultat de Medicina: Major Spanish public medical school with integrated MD and biomedical research programs; a direct Erasmus+ BIP partner for international medical training collaboration.
• Karolinska Institutet: Leading European medical university with an integrated MD program and substantial biomedical/translational research output; comparable on research scale, ERC funding, and academic medical center integration.
• King's College London - Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine: Major UK research university with an academic medical school and biomedical research portfolio; comparable in translational research focus, European research grants, and clinical-academic integration.
• Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin: One of Europe's largest academic medical centers with affiliated medical school; comparable on clinical research output, European Reference Network participation, and integration of teaching with a university hospital.

Direct peers

• Universidade do Porto - Faculdade de Medicina: A leading Portuguese public medical school delivering the integrated master's in medicine and biomedical research, serving the same national applicant pool and competing for similar ERC/ESCI grants.
• Universidade de Lisboa - Faculdade de Medicina: Another major public medical school in Lisbon offering an Integrated Master's in Medicine and biomedical research programs; competes for the same Portuguese medical students and research funding under the same Numerus Clausus system.
• Universidade do Minho - Escola de Medicina: A newer Portuguese public medical school with an integrated MD program; competes for national research funding and top-tier applicants emerging from the Portuguese secondary education system.
• Universidade de Coimbra - Faculdade de Medicina: Historic Portuguese public medical school with an integrated MD program and biomedical research output; one of the direct competitors in the Lisbon-region student market for top medical school talent in Portugal.

Emerging players

• CHRC (Comprehensive Health Research Center): A Lisbon-based comprehensive health research consortium in which NOVA Medical School is a core partner; comparable as a regional biomedical/translational research organization targeting clinical and public health.

Regional players

• Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Faculdade de Medicina Dental: Portuguese private university offering health/biomedical programs and clinical partnerships; provides a private-sector alternative in Portugal for medical education and health research collaboration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nova_medschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/FaculdadeCienciasMedicasNOVA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about NOVA Medical School