One of the dominant trends of recent developments in science and technology has been the gradual erosion of traditional boundaries between different fields.

Many paradigms of understanding now straddle several classical scientific disciplines.
Examples include the study of complex systems, involving Chemistry, Physics, Medicine and Biology advanced knowledge.

The portuguese scientific institutions are still largely organized along traditional boundaries.
Also, although many centers, with excellent researchers, now exist, it is still not very common to find institutions with sufficient critical mass to sustain high quality, broad based, advanced training at postdoctoral level.

ISTAS Portugal addresses these issues, by actively promoting interdisciplinary cooperation activities between institutions.