Partnership Ecosystem

An expression of common necessity and will has brought together the entities responsible for the management of Portuguese language ccTLD's, to reach an agreement on LusNIC’s formal constitution as a private law association whose object focuses on multi-lateral institutional cooperation amongst the Portuguese-language registries within the scope of their areas of operations.

LusNIC has brought together the competent entities responsible for the management, registration and maintenance of country code Top Level Domains (ccTLD’s) for Portuguese-speaking countries. These entities, also known as registries, represent: .br; (Brazil); .cv (Cape Verde); .gw (Guinea-Bissau); .pt (Portugal); .st (São Tomé and Príncipe); .ao (Angola) and .mz (Mozambique).

The .PT provides support, technical training, policy design and, in general, the creation of synergies in the area of DNS and the security and resilience of support systems to some of the members of LusNIC.

In the specific case of security, and in line with what is defined in the National Cybersecurity Strategy, we work closely with the National Cybersecurity Authority - the National Cybersecurity Center (CNCS).

Also within this scope are the actions of close collaboration with CERT.PT, a CNCS service that coordinates the response to incidents involving state entities, essential service operators, Critical Infrastructure operators and digital service providers.

In 2018, .PT has signed a protocol of collaboration with the Portuguese Foundation of Communications, which translates into the presence of the Portuguese ccTLD in the Communications Museum. With this partnership, .PT is recognized as a milestone in the history of communications in Portugal.

PTSOC is the Security Operations Center of .PT and aims to deepen the detection, response and prevention capabilities of cybersecurity incidents and threats and also enhance the levels of cooperation in the context of the domain name management ecosystem, in particular with the national authority, the .pt registrars and the user community, contributing to the preservation of a safe and reliable cyberspace under .pt.

.PT and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

The Memorandum formalizes the scope of support and collaboration that has guided the relationship between these entities, particularly regarding the promotion and development of citizens' digital skills under the national initiative INCoDe.2030. To this extent, the agreement specifically comprises a set of measures directed to five axes of action - Inclusion, Education, Qualification, Specialization and Research. The Memorandum also foresees the support and institutional involvement of the .PT in the creation and subsequent operation of the newly created E-Computation Association, whose object is to promote the teaching of computing at various levels in all compulsory education in Portugal.

.PT is partner of the national initiative INCoDe.2030, a program that aims to improve the positioning and competitiveness of Portugal, in order to ensure a prominent place in digital skills in the 2017-2030 period.

Following the protocol with the National Scientific Computing Unit of the Foundation for Science and Technology, the DNS.PT Association provides the complete and updated list of domains registered under .PT, which is the basis of the Arquivo.pt service, which aims the preservation of contents available on the national Internet and its availability to the scientific community and the general public.

As part of the Fund for Bilateral Relations, .PT and ISNIC, .PT's counterpart in Iceland, established a partnership, focusing on communication and international cooperation.

Through the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement, signed in May 1992, three EFTA states - Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein - became partners in the internal market of the Member States of the European Single Market. The parties established a European Economic Area Financial Mechanism, known as EEA Grants, through which Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein provide financial support to the Member States with the greatest deviations from the European average in GDP per capita, including Portugal. The main objectives are to reduce economic and social disparities within the EEA and to strengthen bilateral relations between donor and beneficiary countries. The EEA Grants support five programs: Blue Growth, Environment, Reconciliation and Gender Equality, Culture and Active Citizens. 

In addition to these five programs, there is also the Fund for Bilateral Relations. This fund aims to support initiatives aimed at strengthening relations between Portugal and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Iceland is part of the European Economic Area (EEA), which allows it to participate in the European Single Market without being a full member. .PT then made contact with ISNIC, which readily agreed to partner with us and develop a campaign highlighting the importance of sustainability and cybersecurity for the growth of a ccTLD and, consequently, for companies and for the country. With this campaign, called "Atlantic Roots, Digital Future”, we aim to increase the digital presence of people and companies, through campaigns, events, promotional material, training and workshops, cooperation and exchange of experiences between the two countries.

This partnership began with participation in the IDC Directions event on October 3, the day we celebrated 33 years since the first .pt domain was registered, and will culminate at the beginning of next year with the presentation of a case study at CENTR, the association of European country code top-level domain name registries, of which .PT and ISNIC are members, on how two small countries, one in the EU and one outside the EU, can cooperate.  

Through the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement, Norway, Iceland and Lichenstaien are partners in the internal market with the Member States of the European Union.  
As a way of promoting a continuous and balanced strengthening of economic and trade relations, the parties to the EEA Agreement established a multi-annual Financial Mechanism, known as EEA Grants. 
The EEA Grants aim to reduce social and economic disparities in Europe and strengthen bilateral relations between these three countries and beneficiary countries.