The Polytechnic of Cávado and Ave (IPCA), created by Decree-Law no. 304/94, of 19 December, consisting of the School of Management (ESG) and the School of Technology (EST), began teaching in the 1996/97 academic year.
The first IPCA students, totalling 74, from the two bachelor’s degree courses: Accounting and Public Finance and Business Accounting, began their teaching activities in temporary premises in the parish of Arcozelo in Barcelos. The definitive facilities only materialised in 2008, with the inauguration of the IPCA Campus in Barcelos, which covers an area of seven hectares.
The history of the IPCA is a story marked by remarkable people and events that, over time, have led to the transformation and consolidation of this institution. It’s these milestones that we want to keep in everyone’s memory today, in order to tell the whole story of the journey to the present day.
Today, the IPCA is a consolidated institution, recognised at national and international level for the quality of its training, research and scientific production, as well as its interaction with the community, making a strong contribution to the development of the region.
In the 2024/2025 academic year, IPCA has six Higher Schools and 7.700 students enrolled in the various study cycles on offer. As the Campus in Barcelos is the epicenter of knowledge and research and innovation, IPCA extends its influence to other municipalities, with facilities (hubs) in five other municipalities in the Cávado valley and the Ave valley: Braga, Guimarães, Famalicão, Esposende and Vila Verde.
Big challenges lie ahead in the near future! The completion of a new campus complex, the B-CRIC (Barcelos Collaborative Research and Innovation Center), which includes a student residence with capacity for 133 beds, a building dedicated to research and innovation, and a 500-seat auditorium, is scheduled for 2025. Also on the campus will be the K2D Building, an infrastructure for pedagogical innovation activities and stimulating creativity, next to which will also be built a sports equipment area for the academic and municipal community. In Guimarães, the School-Hotel, in partnership with the municipality, is also already being built.
