The Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil - LNEC (National Laboratory for Civil Engineering) is a state owned research and development (R&D) institution founded in 1946.

It works in the various domains of civil engineering, giving it a unique multidisciplinary perspective in this field. The main goals of the LNEC are to carry out innovative research and development and to contribute to the best practices in civil engineering.

LNEC also plays a key role in advising the government in technical and scientific matters of civil engineering, as an unbiased and independent body.