The Research Environment, which assesses reputation, income, and productivity, was the pillar with the most significant growth, rising approximately 20% from the previous year and nearly doubling its 2024 value. This indicator increased from 9.6 points in 2024 to 18.7 points in the 2027 edition. Teaching, focused on the learning environment and pedagogical reputation, also maintained its growth trajectory, moving from 13.8 to 14.6 points.
The best-performing dimension remains International Outlook, which considers the presence of international students and staff and global scientific collaboration, achieving 38.6 points. This is followed by Research Quality, with 38.2 points, analyzing citation impact, research strength, excellence, and influence.
Industry Links, measuring knowledge transfer through industry income and patents, registered 20.9 points. The overall ranking assessed 2297 institutions from 118 countries, placing the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo at 16th nationally and within the 1601–1800 band globally.
The 2027 edition introduced more segmented classification bands, making a direct comparison with the 2026 edition, where the institution was in the 1501+ band, challenging. This change aims to provide a more detailed understanding of higher education institutions' performance.
