Areas and Services

With research into landscapes and their cultural markers, from prehistory to the present day, the projects of the University of Minho’s Archaeology Unit (UAUM) enable knowledge transfer and application thereof, for the benefit of communities and regions. It combines a team of archaeologists who are specialised in different areas, IT specialists, technical assistants, research grant holders and collaborators, the UAUM is structured across different strategic areas: Archaeology of Architecture; Archaeology of Landscape and Settlement; Archaeology of Materials and Technologies; Urban Archaeology; Archaeology and New Information Technologies; Enhancement and Dissemination of Heritage.

Interpreting its mission as the development of applied research at the level of urban, architectural, design and artistic production projects, and advocating a policy of reciprocal valorisation, in which the project is understood as a form of research, the Studies Centre of the School of Architecture, Art and Design at the University of Minho (CEEAAD) is open to interdisciplinary collaborations and promotes the exchange of knowledge with institutions and entities representing the community. Responding to various institutions and the University itself, CEEAAD has been involved in multiple types of projects, in particular those listed below, always at the invitation of the entities responsible for these initiatives.

The Design Institute of  Guimarães (IDEGUI) has a wide range of laboratories and workshops, where students, designers and researchers can develop their activity in a creative environment, taking advantage of the most diverse and modern technological means of prototyping (CNC, laser cutting , thermoforming and vacuum infusion) and additive manufacturing in various materials (polymer, ceramic and cellulosic).

Within Lab2PT, the area of Geology or Earth Sciences is articulated with other domains, in particular Archaeology, seeking an integration of knowledge to clarify the origins of raw materials. In addition to this aspect, it works towards the general provision of services related to mining activity: means of recording, analysis and environmental impact.

The group of historians who are integrated members of Lab2PT offers a broad capacity to provide services in the areas of advisory services and consultancy services, ranging from Prehistory to the Contemporary era, including applications to editorial and exhibition initiatives, among others. 

The Tourism and Development team benefits from the contribution of different scientific areas – Geography, Economics, History, Archaeology, Management, Sociology – with a view to an integrated and holistic approach to the Landscape and Territory.

Focusing on the northwestern zone of the North of Portugal, the research focuses primarily on Cultural Tourism and Creative Tourism, encompassing several technological skills: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Crowdsourcing, Webmapping and Augmented Reality. This work has made it possible to link traditions with contemporaneity, in an attempt to respond to the needs of modern tourists, as well as the use of quantitative and qualitative techniques in the perception of residents and other stakeholders involved in the tourism sector.