* Please note that the programme is still subject to minor updates/adjustments

22 OCTOBER

Venue: FEUP | Grand Auditorium

Rui Artur Bártolo Calçada is a Full Professor (2014-) of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) and the Dean of FEUP (2022-2026). He has been President, since its foundation (2021-), of the Scientific and Strategic Council of CCF-Centro de Competências Ferroviário, FEUP representative on the Academia Permanent Advisory Group of ERRAC – European Rail Research Advisory Council and the FEUP representative on EURNEX – the EUropean rail Research Network of Excellence.  He has been involved in the supervision of 24 PhD thesis and was the Director of the doctoral program iRail-Innovation in Railway Systems and Technologies, a partnership between the University of Porto, the University of Minho, and the University of São Paulo in Brazil. His main fields of interest are advanced models for analysis of the train-infrastructure dynamic interaction; dynamic effects on bridges and transition zones; fatigue assessment of railway bridges; track-structure interaction; condition monitoring systems (wayside and on-board); advanced algorithms for condition assessment of the railway infrastructure. 

Carlos Oliveira is the Director of Communication and Cooperation at FEUP – Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto. He is also active as a community manager at Porto Innovation District, and as an invited Professor of the U.Porto multimedia master’s degree. Carlos has graduated from electrical engineering and has a Master’s Degree in telecommunications, both from FEUP. He has also been a researcher at INESC Porto and an entrepreneur in the multimedia sector.

Dr Isabel Ramos has an MSc in Bioengineering from the University of Porto and a PhD in Cardiovascular Imaging from King’s College London. Currently she is part of the London Digital Innovation Hub for Novo Nordisk where she works as an Open Innovation Consultant driving strategic Fast Track Innovation programs across 14 European countries. Previously, as Innovation Manager for Digital Health at Siemens Healthineers, she managed AI-related product development projects and collaborated closely with key universities and hospitals in London. She also worked in tech transfer offices, first at Imperial Innovations and then at The Francis Crick Institute, where she facilitated the commercialization of research discoveries through industry collaborations and IP protection. Passionate about digital health innovation she is dedicated to modernising healthcare by collaborating with dynamic and forward-thinking teams.

Sérgio Guedes Silva holds a master’s in mechanical engineering with a specialization in industrial management. He has seamlessly blended his technical acumen with a heartfelt commitment to humanitarian and development work from the early stages of his career. His previous work in the logistics sector within the private realm provided a platform for Sérgio to further hone his skills, which were later channeled into impactful roles at the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP – Nobel Peace Prize in 2020). Over a span of a decade at WFP, his contributions permeated various facets of supply chain management, initially within research and development, later transitioning to operations, leading a team focused on strategic planning and optimization. His work took him around the world, supporting key operations such as the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh, the Mozambique floods, Sahel and Southern African droughts, and crises in Syria, South Sudan, and Afghanistan. Currently, Sérgio works in the WFP Strategic Partnerships Division, providing strategic support on partnerships with International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and governments. He fosters collaborative engagements centered around food systems, supply chains, and infrastructures.

Energy engineering specialist with 20 years of experience in academia, public and private sector consultancy. Core skills regard renewable energy technologies (biomass, PV, wind), energy efficiency investments, distributed generation and on site CHP, energy systems modelling and integration, demand response strategies. Authored + 100 scientific works among book chapters, reports, papers on ISI journals related to renewable energy and energy systems; leaded 3 international research projects and participated to 10 international research projects since 2006 (total project budget +20 MEur).

Clara Gonçalves is currently Co-founder of a Scientific Machine Learning startup, Inductiva Research Labs assuming the position of Chief Operating Officer. In last 14 years, she worked as Finance and Foresight Group Leader at the Fraunhofer Institute in Portugal, she was also Head of Innovation and Technology Transfer at the Innovation Center of the School of Medicine of the University of Minho and Executive Director of UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto, implementing an effective model of knowledge and technology transfer between academia and companies, supporting more than 500 technology-based start-ups and spin-offs and attracting around 30 Innovation Centers from national and international companies to the University of Porto ecosystem.

Farid Singh is passionate about helping people succeed and solving problems. He is the founder of Technology and Innovation Consulting firm Take 3 Innovate, Entrepreneurship firm Nexwin OU, General Partner for Wise Guys Cyber Fund 1, and an Innovation Consultant for companies like Intel Corp USA, Prosegur Security and many more. He has over 15+ years of corporate experience and now spends his time between investing, innovation, startups and technology. He also gives Masterclasses on Building purposeful companies, Blue ocean strategy, Path to Product Market Fit, Experimenting and Building killer CX. He has worked with over 200 startups from all over the world in verticals from SaaS, Fintech, Cybersecurity, Defence AI and Sustainability. Farid has a deep technical background but also holds an MBA from INSEAD, A Bachelors Engineering degree and a Masters of Engineering from Leeds University UK.  He is the Head Learning and Design Coach for programs at INSEAD which focus on Design Thinking, Creativity, Product Service design and Business Innovation. He is also a certified Blue Ocean Strategy Practitioner and helps companies overcome competition.

Armando Morado Ferreira is Lieutenant General at the Ministry of Defence, Brazilian Army. His academic background includes various degrees and courses, including, amongst others, Military Institute of Engineering (IME) – Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering (1997), Delaware University/USA – Ph D in Mechanical Engineering (2001), Escola de Comando e Estado-Maior do Exército (ECEME) – Master’s Degree in Military Sciences (2004), Escola de Comando e Estado-Maior do Exército (ECEME) – Brazilian Army High-Administration, Policy  and Strategy  Course (2015). His professional career has passed through the passages like Executive officer of the Military Institute of Engineering (IME), Commanding officer of Military Institute of Engineering (IME) and Chief of the Brazilian Army Technogical Center (CTEx). His current assignment is Chief of Education, Research, Development and Innovation of the Brazilian Army’s Department of S&T. During his long career in the military service, Armando Morado Ferreira has also received various awards, including, for instance, Tiradentes Medal – Awarded by Rio de Janeiro’s State Senate and Titular Member of the Brazilian National Academy of Engineering.

Jodi Forlizzi is the Herbert A. Simon Professor of Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. She is also the Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the School of Computer Science. Jodi has advocated for design research in all forms, mentoring peers, colleagues, and students in its structure and execution, and today it is an important part of the HCI community. Jodi studies the ethical impacts of human interaction with AI systems in front-line service industries including healthcare and hospitality. She also develops methods and tools to ensure that product developers can mitigate ethical harms and bias during product development. Jodi is an ACM SIGCHI Fellow and recently received its Lifetime Research Award. She recently testified to the US Senate in one an AI Innovation Briefing and collaborates closely with the AFL-CIO Tech Institute.

Pedro Coelho has a background in Business Economics and had a long experience working as a business and financial consultant for several organizations, including ANJE and SPI. Since 2005 working at FEUP, he is currently the Head of Research & Innovation Support Unit (INOV) and the coordinator of the Business & Innovation Network (BIN@TM) since it was created in 2010. He is co-founder and executive member of FEUP’s Industry Liaison Office. In 2021, Pedro Coelho received  the excellence award for partnership, attributed by Universitatea ”Valahia” din Targoviste (RO) as a testament to the long-term cooperation that BIN@ network has had with the university.

Dr.hc.Violeta Bulc, is the founder and curator of the Ecocivilisation movement. In less than four years, the movement under her leadership has grown into a global community that is already present in 46 countries and connects more than 2,500 active people in various fields that influence the co-creation of our common future and the present. Her career consists of different layers, which include the mandate of the European Commissioner for Transport, the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Cohesion and Development, a 14-year career as an entrepreneur, a 5-year career as a director in the field of telecommunications and a few years of an engineer’s career with extensive experience in the field of computing and informatics at home and abroad. She is the recipient of various national awards and prizes in the field of innovation and development of strategic business projects, publicist, author of the business bestseller Rhythms of Business Evolution and co-author of chapters in various books and professional publications. Her wide experience was richly supplemented by the Shaman Academy and the Academy of Martial Arts. She is an active member of many international professional and supervisory boards at the international, European and national level. She describes herself as a traveler through space and time, on the wings of curiosity and love.

Laura Testa Moura Vicentini is an agronomist and passionate about sugar cane. She produces pre-sprouted sugar cane seedlings at Spinagro, organic compost and the world’s first sustainable cachaça at Sô Zé Cachaça. All of these products are sustainable and internationally certified, guided by a circular and regenerative economy, which Laura and her husband, Rodrigo, proudly produce today in Batatais, São Paulo – Brazil. 

Lučka Bogataj is professor emeritus at the University of Ljubljana. Her areas of research include biometeorology, climate change impacts on ecosystems and human well-being. Her expertise as a climate scientist is internationally recognized and she was, as a member of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2002 – 2016) the joint recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. She was also a member of the Steering Committee for the Global Climate Observation System at World Meteorological Organisation In 2016 she became a member of the UNESCO Expert Group on the Declaration on Ethical Principles in Relation to Climate Change. She was listed among Women Who Inspire Europe in 2012 by the European Institute for Gender Equality. She has shared her expertise at many national and international conferences and in various media.