OECD: Portugal is the country with the most innovative projects to combat Covid-19

Lígia Simões 21 April 2020, 10:02

Portugal stands out as one of the countries with the largest number of differentiating projects to face the pandemic. The data are from the OECD and show that of the 150 differentiating responses worldwide, 19 are Portuguese, which corresponds to about 11% of the total. The top 3 are also the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has identified 150 differentiating projects worldwide that aim to tackle the pandemic and Portugal is one of the countries with the largest number of solutions. OECD data highlights Europe and America where the innovative bet has been greater. At the opposite extreme is Asia and Africa.

The OECD reveals that of the 150 differentiating responses worldwide, 19 are Portuguese, which corresponds to about 11% of the total as you can see here.

The UK and Ireland are also part of the top 3. With multiple online platforms launched in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, the OECD highlights, for example, the Government website “Somos ON”, which recently also became available in an application with the aim of promoting the use of online services by the population to avoid contact during this pandemic.

The Ministry of Health's Shared Services also launched an online platform dedicated entirely to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and which also appears on this OECD list as a website that clarifies, for example, ways of transmission and compiles data on the epidemiological situation in the parents.

The OECD also highlights projects such as the Portuguese movement tech4Covid-19, which has sought to find technological solutions to help the country in the fight against Covid-19, and the program of the Foundation for Science and Technology Research 4 Covid-19 that supports research and development projects and initiatives already underway or to be developed and that respond to the needs of the NHS.

According to the table prepared by the OECD after Portugal, the United Kingdom emerges, with 12 solutions identified, followed by Ireland, with 11. In Europe, France and the Czech Republic also stand out, both with eight projects. In Spain and Italy, innovative projects that want to face Covid-19 seem to be reduced, with only two in each identified.

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