The Institute was opened in September 1990 to offer classes and training in technology, but founded in 2008.

[1] But, it was only officially inaugurated on 11 January 1991, in the presence of the Minister for Engineering Valente de Oliveira, and official representation by then-Prime Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva.

The school's council expanded theses offerings after a meeting on 3 November 2006, establishing the framework for individualized courses, reinforced by article 46A (Decree Law 115/2013) of the Ministério da Ciência Tecnologia e do Ensino Superior (Ministry of Science Technology and Higher Education) on 7 August 2013.

The institute operates from a central building that provides administrative services, finance services, library, teaching halls, snack-bar, students' association office and other installations, within a 4,800 square metres (52,000 sq ft) on a 5,500 square metres (59,000 sq ft) block of land in the civil parish.

Along with administrative services the space includes 18 classrooms, 4 computer laboratories, an audiovisual lab, a business simulation area, photography lab and chemical lab, as well as 270 square metres (2,900 sq ft) auditorium, in addition to studio, meeting rooms and students' areas.