REQUIMTE (Rede de Química e Tecnologia) was formally chartered as a non-profit scientific organization, in January 2003, as a partnership of the Universities of Porto and NOVA Lisbon, located at the two main Portuguese cities. It results from a long-standing collaboration between two Research Centres of these Universities in the fields of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Pharmacology and Food Science and Technology. In November 2001, REQUIMTE was officially recognised by the Portuguese Minister of Science and Higher Education, as host to a research Centre of Excellence in Green Chemistry, Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde.