Due to its relevance as a “nationally and internationally recognized institution, whether for the specificity of its collections and museum spaces or for the excellence of the knowledge it is charged with producing and supporting” in the fields of “inventory, documentation, research, classification, dissemination, conservation and restoration of ceramics and, especially, azulejos”, the National Azulejo Museum is naturally one of Az’s most important partners.  

The projects  Az Infinitum – Azulejo Indexation and Referencing System and Cataloguing Portuguese tile patterns are developed in collaboration with the National Azulejo Museum. This partnership also entails the organization of the monthly seminar AzLab, as well as other, more sporadic activities.  

The close working relationship between the two institutions was formalized by a cooperation protocol signed on 25 September 2009 between the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon (FLUL) and the former Institute for Museums and Conservation (IMC), currently the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage. The document aimed to define and regulate the cooperation between FLUL and the IMC, through the João Miguel dos Santos Simões Thematic Network for Azulejo and Ceramic Studies (RTEACJMSS), currently named Az – Azulejo Research Network, and the National Azulejo Museum. 

Apart from the specific goals related to ongoing activities and projects, this protocol also called for the establishment of new partnerships, whose terms were to be mutually agreed (first clause, paragraph 2), but the main aim remains the development of integrated research on written and artistic sources related to Portuguese tile decorations, as well promoting the inventory, study and dissemination of these works (second clause, paragraphs a) and b)).   
  
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