"Earthquakes cause great damage to societies at all levels. Recognizing that geophysical observations are essential for the mitigation of natural disasters the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) recently created the National Geophysics Network (RNG) – a geophysical monitoring network managed by a consortium of academic and non-academic national institutions. Project ART-SEIS aims at contributing to the mitigation of seismic risk in the Portuguese territory, taking advantage of the new research infrastructures of the RNG. We propose to develop an effective and sustainable seismic monitoring system that allows for the generation of near-real-time earthquake-information after an earthquake, and rapid response in case of disaster. In order to accomplish this overall goal, we have defined four specific objectives: 1) To develop a seismic system that will allow rapid response to earthquake disasters in Portugal by rapidly computing the earthquake location, magnitude, style of faulting and maps of ground shaking (shakemaps); 2) To implement a set of algorithms for high-quality estimate of earthquake parameters (hypocenter, magnitude and moment tensor) taking into account the specific geographic situation of Portugal; 3) To investigate and implement procedures that reduce the operational costs of the seismic networks using the available technologies (cheap and effective data transmission, automation of routines, etc) in order to render its operation sustainable in time; and 4) To advocate and promote the implementation of the solutions identified and developed in the project by the national authorities, in the scope of the recently created RNG. We propose to set-up this seismic system using state-of the-art software and techniques (e.g., use of SeisComP3 software, VSAT telemetry, sparse-network techniques, non-linear location algorithms) and in close interaction with ongoing EU projects that address related issues (e.g., NERIES, SAFER)."