Their role goes far beyond teaching, as they are now key players in research, innovation, and international collaboration. The latest example comes from the Instituto Superior Técnico, which has joined a European consortium to tackle one of the most urgent challenges of the modern space era, cleaning up the growing number of debris orbiting the Earth.

The project known as gEICKo, Gecko Based Innovative Capture Kit for Uncooperative and Unprepared Orbital Assets, is funded by the European Innovation Council and brings together institutions from six European countries. Its goal is to be as imaginative as it is necessary, to develop technology inspired by nature to capture and remove space debris.

Over the past decades, Earth’s orbit has become crowded with fragments of rockets, deactivated satellites, and metallic debris left behind by human activity. These objects, traveling at extremely high speeds, pose a serious threat to active satellites and to future missions. The European gEICKo initiative aims to change that by developing a robotic cleaning system that mimics the adhesion mechanism of geckos, one of nature’s most fascinating designs.

The concept is simple yet revolutionary. Geckos can climb smooth vertical surfaces thanks to microscopic structures on their feet that create molecular level forces of attraction known as van der Waals forces. The European researchers are adapting this principle to create synthetic materials that replicate the gecko’s adhesion ability. This will allow a cleaning satellite to capture debris without the need for glue, clamps, or complex mechanical systems.

At the Instituto Superior Técnico, researchers from the Institute for Systems and Robotics are developing the satellite’s guidance, navigation, and control systems. These components are critical to ensuring the precision required to approach and safely capture fast moving objects in orbit. The project demonstrates how Portuguese academic institutions can contribute cutting edge expertise to global efforts in space sustainability and robotics.

With a total budget of four million euros, the gEICKo project is expected to deliver a working prototype within three years. The first generation of this bio inspired cleaning satellites could begin operating by the next decade, marking a milestone in the quest for cleaner and safer orbits.

Portugal’s participation in such advanced research underscores how far its universities have evolved. From artificial intelligence and renewable energy to quantum computing and aerospace engineering, higher education institutions are becoming central pillars of the country’s innovative ecosystem. They are helping Portugal transition from a user of technology to a producer of knowledge and intellectual property with global relevance.

Following the success of Portuguese space technology startups such as Neuraspace, the gEICKo project reinforces Portugal’s growing credibility in the European space landscape. It shows that collaboration between academia and industry can generate solutions that are both technically brilliant and environmentally responsible.

Universities like Técnico are not only educating the next generation of scientists and engineers. They are helping to design the tools that will make the future of exploration sustainable. In a time when the boundaries between Earth and orbit are blurring, Portugal’s scientific community is proving that innovation can come from anywhere, even from a country that has always looked to the horizon and dreamed beyond it.