Your demonstration space for the energy transition

DEMOSPACES is the network that promotes innovation and collaboration in Portugal’s energy sector

I want to demonstrate

I need to validate or scale a project for the energy transition

I want to use a space

I have a space

I own a space that can be used to validate or scale energy transition projects

I want to share a space

The DEMOSPACES network

All demonstration spaces available within the network

Discover demonstration spaces, get in touch and move forward with validating your project.

Demonstration spaces are environments designed to validate and scale innovative initiatives under real-world conditions, supporting performance demonstration and market entry.

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Online / digital spaces (3)

Types of Spaces

Available for projects between TRL 6 and 9

Demonstration spaces include several types of facilities, which can be selected according to your project's needs:

Spaces for Pilots

Small-scale space used to validate and scale technological and manufacturing processes before full industrial or commercial implementation.

TRL 5 - 7

Spaces for Demonstrators

Near-commercial spaces that enable validation across multiple contexts and application domains, intended to demonstrate performance under real-world conditions, regulatory compliance, benefits and the overall viability of the solution.

TRL 7 - 9

Operational Spaces

Includes industrial, commercial or process plants. Full-scale operational validation space designed for continuous and sustained production, fully meeting regulatory, safety and quality requirements.

TRL 9

Living Labs

Real-life user environments embedded within a broader ecosystem, where end users and stakeholders co-create and validate innovations in practice.

TRL 5 - 9

Which space is most suitable for you?

Find the most appropriate space for your project

Your project's operational context and technology maturity level will help determine the type of demonstration space best suited to your needs.

Sectorial
ecosystem building
Research Infrastructures Test beds · Test laboratories
Living Labs
Spaces for Demonstrators
Spaces for Pilots
Operational Spaces
Technology-service
oriented

Classification by operational framework

Sectorial ecosystem building

Coordinated networks of stakeholders and resources within a sector to promote collaboration and innovation.

Technology-service oriented

Provision of technologies and services to facilitate use, integration and adoption.

Classification by maturity level

TRL 1 Basic principles observed
TRL 2 Technology concept formulated
TRL 3 Experimental proof of concept
TRL 4 Prototype validation in laboratory
TRL 5 Prototype validation in relevant environment
TRL 6 Demonstrator validated in relevant environment
TRL 7 Demonstrator validated in operational environment
TRL 8 Complete and validated operational system (Production)
TRL 9 Final and commercially validated system (Continuous production)

About DemoSpaces

The network of demonstration spaces for the energy transition

What is DemoSpaces?

DemoSpaces is a digital platform that brings together and promotes a national network of demonstration spaces dedicated to the validation, demonstration and scaling of innovative technologies and solutions for the energy transition. Through this network, organisations with demonstration infrastructures or environments can showcase their capabilities, while companies, startups, research centres and public entities can identify the most suitable spaces to validate their solutions in real-world contexts, contributing to accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies and fostering new collaboration opportunities within the energy ecosystem.

The platform was developed under WP16 – Business Acceleration of the Alliance for Energy Transition (ATE), a national innovation mobilisation agenda aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the Portuguese energy sector. Co-led by INESC TEC and Beta-i, DemoSpaces emerged as a response to a common challenge in the innovation process: the difficulty in finding suitable environments to validate and demonstrate technologies prior to their commercial implementation.

Why are demonstration spaces important?

Validation is a critical step in the technology innovation process.

Before a technology reaches industrial or commercial implementation, it is often necessary to demonstrate its performance, reliability and viability under real or representative conditions, reducing technical and operational uncertainties.

Demonstration spaces and technology infrastructures play a fundamental role in this process, providing facilities, equipment, expertise and resources that enable:

- Demonstrating and validating new technologies under real or near-real conditions;

- Reducing costs and risks associated with technology development;

- Supporting prototyping and scaling processes;

- Increasing technology readiness levels (TRL);

- Facilitating industrial adoption and market entry.

By providing these capabilities, demonstration spaces become an essential element for accelerating innovation and competitiveness in the energy sector.

Who is DemoSpaces for?

For entities that provide demonstration spaces

DemoSpaces allows you to showcase the infrastructures, equipment and services associated with your demonstration spaces.

By joining the network, entities can:

- Increase the visibility of their infrastructures and services;

- Attract new projects and partners;

- Promote collaboration opportunities;

- Maximise the use of their infrastructures;

- Contribute to the development of the national innovation ecosystem.

For entities looking for demonstration spaces

The platform facilitates the identification and selection of the most suitable spaces for each project, enabling users to:

- Quickly discover relevant demonstration spaces;

- Compare different options in a single place;

- Find partners for technology demonstration and validation;

- Accelerate validation and demonstration processes in operational contexts;

- Support the progression of solutions towards higher technology readiness levels.

Contact us

Get in touch with the DEMOSPACES Network

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