The Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia de Polímeros, ICTPOL (Polymer Science and Technology Institute) was founded in 1990 in order to assemble the main groups involved in the Research and Development (R&D) of Polymeric Materials in Portugal in order to improve this activity and create technological support infrastructures for the companies dealing with polymers in Portugal. ICTPOL is a private non-profitmaking association which is essentially made up of operational units possessing last generation laboratory and computerised equipment, and which are staffed by university lecturers, researchers and technicians qualified in this field. These units are associated with such national science and technology organizations as the Instituto Nacional de Investigação e Tecnologia Industrial (INETI) [National Institute for Industrial Technolog and Research], the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) [Higher Technical Institute], the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC) [National Civil Engineering Laboratory] and the Departamento de Engenharia de Polímeros da Universidade do Minho (DEP/UM) [Minho University Polymer Engineering Department]. Industrial associations. R&D institutes and companies from the polymer production, processing and projects sector are also ICTPOL associates. Hence, ICTPOL provides the space for continuous interaction between the research potential of the various organizations and the development and expansion needs of the productive network of the national polymer sector. PIn trying to keep up with the rate of national and international progress in the industry in terms of material, technology and applications, ICTPOL places itself at the disposal of industrialists as an instrument for the active support of modernisation and innovation, two progress factors which are indispensable to guarantee the competitiveness of the companies an ensure their success in the area of international production.