Lusófona Improves the Quality of Classroom and Research Laboratories

The philosophy of quality improvement has been applied across all services at Lusófona University, and the Teaching and Research Laboratories for Exact Sciences have been no exception. Based on the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, and Act) methodology, the Directorate of Laboratories and Technology Transfer Centres (DLCTT) has developed a methodical and organised approach to pursuing well-defined objectives. In the last semester, the DLCTT Purchasing Team managed approximately 5,000 requests for consumables and reagents and acquired 100 new pieces of equipment for the Teaching and Research Laboratories.

The team has been expanded through the recruitment of 3 new employees with technical expertise in Chemistry, Biology, and Management. New general waste containers were introduced in the Teaching Laboratories, a service for the collection of laboratory waste was contracted from a Certified Environmental Company, and an annual Maintenance Plan for specific equipment was developed.

We are entering a new era – the digital transformation – where it will be vital for all organisations to ensure the digitalisation of their processes, optimise them, and know how to manage all available information. In this regard, Lusófona will be a pioneer in contracting laboratory management software that will allow teachers to monitor the necessary requests for classes in real-time.

Soon, the construction of a reagent warehouse is expected, complying with current legislation, and the refurbishment of Building E will lead to a clear separation between Teaching and Research Laboratories.

Research has been a major focus for the University, especially in the field of exact sciences – the experimental units of the CBIOS Research Centre are in full operation, and new projects in Engineering are also underway. Last year, the unit successfully approved the Catcher Project in the field of renewable energy.

These objectives reflect a continuous and consistent investment in technology and human resources, alongside the high levels of control required in this area.

In order to meet the expectations of students and staff, thus contributing to high-quality education, the DLCTT intends to continue focusing on innovation and the improvement of its processes.