A main objective of the MIT Portugal Program is to encourage faculty at different Portuguese institutions to collaborate on focus area research initiatives and to invigorate research and development within the industrial sector. The projects address important issues and priorities in Portugal and serve as unique opportunities for engineering systems research.

The research will intersect directly with the program's education components and aims to create lasting connections between academia and industry in Portugal.

Additionally, the Engineering Systems program supports additional research and education activities and projects that directly address cross-cutting engineering systems concepts and methodologies. Research is being pursued in areas that include specific methodologies (e.g. network analysis, logistics) and engineering systems properties and principles (e.g. sustainability, flexibility in system design, development of lean enterprises). Curriculum development projects include quantitative as well as qualitative methodologies for engineering systems.