Associate laboratories usually consist of research units or institutes from different universities, all of which combining three key aspects: a strategic research agenda; research excellence and the necessary dimension to address research challenges with a global dimension.

DECN members carry out their R&D work in tree of them, namely:

Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion (IPFN)

Thematic areas:

• Materials Processing and Characterization
• N - Plasmas Reactive: Modelling and Engineering (N-PRiME)

INESC Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (NESC-MN)

Thematic areas:

• R&D in strategic technological areas of micro- and nanotechnologies and the application of these technologies to electronic, biological and biomedical devices

Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (IBB)

Thematic areas:

• R&D in the areas of industrial biotechnology, health, agrarian and environmental chemistry

Initiated in 2019 by the FCT, the process of attributing the status of LA culminated in the publication of the Regulation of Associated Laboratories. The attribution of status and funding to Associate Laboratories aims to encourage the aggregation and organization of human and material resources with the quality and dimension necessary to respond to the specific objectives of national scientific and technological policy.