The Portuguese Committee of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) held its thirteenth congress on 17 December 2019, in Lisbon (Portugal); the banner theme was ''Space: Challenges and Opportunities''. This event met the momentum that currently exists at a national level with the creation of the Portuguese Space Agency and the Space Authority, to assess how space can contribute to new technological ecosystems for mass communication and scientific research. The opening session was led by Manuel Heitor, Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education and João Cadete de Matos, Chairman of ANACOM’s Board of Directors.

Teresa Ferreira, Director of Space in GMV Portugal, was one of the guest speakers to discuss the Opportunities of Space in Portugal, focusing on participation in the new technologies that are being developed and implemented in the space sector, namely in some key projects GMV is leading.

This event also hosted the prize-giving ceremony of the ANACOM-URSI Portugal research prize, which went this year to the ISTnanosat team, of the Instituto Superior Técnico. “ISTSat-1 - The First Portuguese University CubeSat" was classified as a work of excellent scientific quality and rigor, clarity and transversality.