The Support Program Policy Information and Communication Framework Programme for Competitiveness and Innovation of the European Union (CIP-ICT), initiated in 2007, aims to accelerate the development of a sustainable information society, competitive, innovative and inclusive. The program opens, annually since 2007, tender for submission of applications for research projects and technological development to promote the transfer of innovative knowledge in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to the market.

UMIC - Agency for the Knowledge Society, IP ensures monitoring of the CIP-ICT Programme in Portugal, including the delegation of Portugal in the Programme Management Committee and the relations with the Directorate-General Information Society and Media of the European Commission.

Success rates in applications approved with Portuguese participation and in financing Portuguese entities in this competition confirms the overall values accumulated since 2007, with an approval of 13 million euros for Portuguese entities (3% of total Program funding) in 53 Portuguese participation in projects (30% of the total projects approved).

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by the Portuguese youth 10 to 15 years old has increased quickly in recent years. A very complete perspective is provided over the new reality with the data reported below from three sources: (1) the survey on ICT use by families done in the 1st quarter of each year by Statistics Portugal (INE) in collaboration with the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC); (2) the surveys held within thje EU Kids Online Project; (3) the surveys held within the OECD PISA – Programme for International Student Assessment.

• 91% use the Internet, both girls and boys. The use of the Internet is 100% among students in the 3rd cycle of basic schooling (7th to 9th grade).
• 84% use the Internet at home, much more than the double of 2005 (when it was 32%)
• 67% claim using the Internet every day or almost every day, nearly the triple of 2005 (when it was 24%).
• The main activities of youngsters 10 to 15 years old who use the Internet are: searching for information for school work (97%), messaging in chats, blogs, social networking websites, newsgroups, online discussion forums or real time written messages (86%), email (86%), games or downloading games, pictures, movies or music (79%), browsing websites of personal interest (63%), uploading personal content on a website to be shared (55% ), searching for health information (47%).
• 96% use computers, both girls and boys. The use of computer is 100% among students in the 3rd cycle of basic schooling (7th to 9th grade).
• 92% use computers at home, 1.6 times the value for 2005 (when it was 57%).
• 77% declare using computers every day or almost every day, 1.7 times the value for 2005 (when it was 46%).
• The main activities youngsters 10 to 15 years old who use computers declare doing are: school work (93%), listening to music or watching movies (84%), games (84%), use of educational software (54%).
• 87% use mobile phones, 1.4 times the value for 2005.