Universidade Católica considered the most entrepreneurial in Portugal
Universidade Católica was considered the most entrepreneurial university in Portugal, according to the 2025 Redstone University Startup Index, which ranks the institution first nationally and 74th in Europe among the 360 universities included in the category of European universities with budgets between €100 million and €500 million.
Developed by Redstone, AlpMomentum and RWTH Aachen, this study assesses the efficiency of higher education institutions in creating startups founded by alumni or as institutional spin-offs and their contribution to innovation, employment and economic growth in Europe.
The index uses as its central metric the number of start-ups launched per €100 million of annual budget, thus allowing for fair analysis and comparison between institutions of different sizes. Depending on the respective budget, there are four categories: below 100 million, between 100 million and 500 million, above 500 million and up to 1 billion, and above 1 billion.
Analysing 905 universities and research institutes in 35 European countries, it is one of the most comprehensive studies on the entrepreneurial impact of universities.
According to the Redstone University Startup Index 2025, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) has an average of 8.2 startups for every €100 million of the university's budget and eleven startups founded by alumni or resulting from UCP spin-offs.
‘UCP's commitment to the future has always involved developing an entrepreneurial spirit in all sectors of activity. To transform, you must not be afraid. This recognition demonstrates the effectiveness of decades of positioning,’ says Isabel Capeloa Gil, President of Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
The study also estimates that, based on current performance, Católica could contribute the following over the next ten years:
- 5,271 new jobs
- €2.2 billion potential contribution to Gross Domestic Product
- €316 million in potential tax revenue
- €2.76 billion in potential market value (equity)
- 3 “unicorn” companies
The presence of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in this international index highlights its ability to promote entrepreneurship throughout the academic journey, providing an environment that stimulates initiative, innovation and value creation. It also reflects its competence in training and inspiring future entrepreneurs, as well as its commitment to knowledge transfer and economic and social impact.