Six notable EU-funded projects, including Portugal's TU4C, were honored on the evening of October 14th in Brussels at the REGIOSTARS 2026 Awards. These awards, part of the 24th European Week of Regions and Cities, recognized excellence in projects supported by the EU's cohesion policy.
The Portuguese project, which transformed Northern Portugal into a precision oncology hub with nearly 15 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), united the Porto IPO and i3S. It established Portugal's first Precision Oncology Program, providing over 1,500 patients with access to cutting-edge diagnostics and enabling hundreds to participate in clinical trials.
With 53 publications and five international patents, TU4C demonstrated how cohesion policy can help emerging regions become European leaders in research. The REGIOSTARS Awards, organized by the European Commission since 2008, aim to showcase the impact of regional development.
A panel of experts selected 25 finalists from 274 applications across the European Union. The projects presented their proposals during the European Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels from October 12th to 14th, sharing a common goal of building stronger, more resilient communities.
