This is the seventh issue of “INESC TEC Science & Society” magazine, a publication that seeks to communicate impactful science to a wide audience, this time addressing a topical question - the future of leadership in research and development in the era of Artificial Intelligence. This issue is different from the previous ones, focusing on disseminating the results obtained in the discussion held at an event organised by the “INESC Brussels Hub” in liaison with the European Commission and the NCBR Office, in Brussels. In June 2024, 60 people - including managers, researchers and policymakers - gathered in Brussels to discuss the future of leadership in R&D in the era of AI.

Artificial Intelligence has been changing the paradigm of leadership in R&D. This is precisely what we seek to show in this issue, through the opinions of external experts and INESC TEC researchers. We begin this issue by providing a broader view of the topic, then moving on to the discussion of sectoral applications. I will leave the details for the following editorial.

In addition to the magazine, we’ve decided to explore other media; over the last year, we have revisited – in chronological order of publication – older issues, exploring them through podcasts and videocasts.

We hope to keep fulfilling our goal of broadening the dissemination of science to a wider audience.

Artur Pimenta Alves

Series Coordinator

Emeritus Professor at FEUP

INESC TEC Director

artur.p.alves@inesctec.pt