feup highlights 2014

HIGHLIGHTS FACULTY OF ENGINEERING - UNIVERSITY OF PORTO 2015

ENGINEERING

TO INNOVATEBiomaterials as a substitute for bones with lesions in humansFEUP and EFACEC put on the market technology worth €5MA sous chef of the future, with the mark of FEUPWeTruck: the project which will revolutionize the truck market

TO UNDERTAKEDetection and characterization of defects in composite materials by thermography Bio Boards: sustainability with style

TO COOPERATEThe Academy, the City Council and Institutions working together on the evolution of cities

EDITORIALWorld class engineering at the University of Porto

ABOUT FEUPFEUP in briefU.Porto, a driving force for the Northern region, an international playerA comprehensive educationResearch and Innovation for the real world Alumni CommitmentSocial Responsibility

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PublisherCommunication Division of the Faculty of Engineering - University of [email protected]

Editorial boardCarlos Oliveira and Raquel Pires

Redaction Carlos Oliveira, Raquel Pires and Helena [email protected]

Design and layout César [email protected]

PhotographyÁlvaro Martino, Ana Pereira, Egídio Santos, Filipe Paiva, Francisco Piqueiro, João Pádua, Lisa Soares, Luís Ferraz, Manuel Fontes and Susana Neves

TranslationJonathan Lewis

PropertyFaculty of Engineering - University of Porto

Head Office Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto Tel: +351 22 508 1400e-mail: [email protected] | url: www.fe.up.pt

Print & ProductionEmpresa Diário do Porto, Lda. Porto 06 - 2015

Publication frequencyAnnual

Circulation 1500 copies

ISSN2182-9411

Legal deposit360125/13

FEUP HIGHLIGHTS 2014

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TO ACTInterview to Félix Ribeiro: “The creation of UPTEC is an example of the dynamics of creating ecosystems of innovation”

TO PROMOTECommunity of innovation: the advantages of networkingInterview to Eduardo Oliveira Fernandes: “The energy project for EXPO’98 was the opportunity of a lifetime”Alumni Ambassadors@FEUP: Angola

ANNUAL REPORT 20142014 in review

FEUP IN FIGURES 2014Facts & figures 2014

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Cover photo - Bio Boards

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Our region, Portugal and Europe are facing many well-known challenges, and our School also faces many local and global challenges. José Felix Ribeiro, an economist working on prospective studies and geopolitical analysis, will help us prepare the first strategic plan for long term development of our activities. In an interview in this edition of Highlights he mentions that internationalization depends on volume, variety and value. We have to work together with our stakeholders in order to increase our influence locally and globally.

The FEUP community also maintains a diverse range of activities supporting many initiatives related to sport, culture, sustainable development, and social responsibility, in a global context. Several groups are very active, in particular a recently formed classical student orchestra and a Jazz group. I should also mention that hundreds of students and staff are involved in social responsibility activities, helping disadvantaged communities in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.

Advanced research in partnership with enterprises and other organizations is a key component of our activity. In this issue we highlight work on third generation solar cells with EFACEC, the largest Portuguese corporation in the field of electromechanics and electronics. This work resulted in a patent being sold to Dyesol, in Australia. Several innovative results being developed by recent graduates are also mentioned: WeTruck, a product that saves energy and reduces pollution in trucks; Mellow, a home device for slow cooking; and Bio Boards, for skating and surfing, using recycled materials and components, in particular based on cork.

Networking activities are key for our activity and this issue presents the very successful BIN@Sheffield meeting with over 400 participants. Soon, this Business & Innovation Network event will take place in Porto, 2-4 November 2015, hosted by FEUP and UPTEC.

I would like to end this editorial by inviting you to the first International Conference on Engineers Against Poverty and Disease. This will take place at FEUP in July 2016, and details will soon be announced. I hope that we will be able to keep working together to improve our society!

*FEUP Dean

World class engineering at the University of Porto

In “Six Memos for the Next Millennium” Italo Calvino, the 20th century Italian writer, highlighted the values which he felt would be important for our millennium: lightness, quickness, exactitude, visibility, multiplicity and consistency. Although his work was aimed at literature, I believe that these values are also relevant for education, research, and innovation in engineering projects aiming at worldwide impact.

The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) attracts many of the brightest students, researchers, and professionals in our region and country, and is involved in initiatives with many universities and organizations all over the world. This issue of Highlights presents a few examples of our recent activity that have had great impact on society, and I believe that they are illustrative of Italo Calvino’s proposed values.

I am also very happy that in the 2015 QS World University Rankings, on the subject Engineering & Technology, we are among the best 300 institutions, with Civil & Structural engineering among the best 100 (16-30th position at European level). It is also worth remarking the consistent performance along the years in the National Taiwan University Ranking. In 2014 we were in the Top 100 of the World in three Engineering subjects (Top 20 at European level). In the remaining subjects, we are among the best 250 universities of the world. And of course we are all working at FEUP to improve our impact.

Our alumni network now covers all the five continents. Local groups started organizing meetings, beginning in London, Bern, Stockholm, Brussels, Luanda, and Rio de Janeiro. FEUPLink, based on LinkedIn, has now over 15,000 members and is growing quickly.

From the next academic year starting in September 2015, the final two years of the integrated five year master programs and all doctoral programs at FEUP will be offered in English, both for national and foreign students.

Increasing the level of internationalization is a key strategic objective for FEUP, regarding education, research, and innovation activities. We aim at having more international students and staff, and more student and staff exchanges. Research activities must also increase their involvement with external competitive organizations, with a view to enabling or producing world class innovation in products and services.

EDITORIAL 3

João Falcão e Cunha *

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FEUP HIGHLIGHTS 2014 FACULTY OF ENGINEERING - UNIVERSITY OF PORTO

FEUP in brief

Founded in 1926, the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP) is the largest of the 14 faculties of the University of Porto. With its origins in the Polytechnic Academy, created in 1837, FEUP is a leading institution of international repute, whose achievements in research and teaching have led to its current position at the forefront of engineering schools. FEUP’s claim to be an International School of Engineering is not simply due to the ever-increasing number of foreign students who choose it as their destination every year, and for whom specific programmes of soft-landing and integration are developed; nor is it merely due to the many foreign researchers who enrich the scientific work of the Faculty and bring a multicultural atmosphere to the campus. Important though this international community is, the main thrust of internationalization at FEUP comes from the cooperative relations that it maintains with businesses and prestigious higher education institutions in Europe and the rest of the world, with special emphasis on the USA and Brazil. This collaboration covers aspects as diverse as the establishment of joint degrees, applied research, professional training and mobility programmes for students and staff. FEUP has come to enlarge its basis of cooperation, also participating in major international networks and prestigious engineering associations such as CESAER - Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research. CESAER has over 50 European Institutions as members and in 2011 FEUP was selected to be one of the institutions integrated into CESAER’S Board of Directors. Global recognition of FEUP’s quality can also be seen in the high position it occupies in the most respected international Engineering rankings. This, along with the excellent comprehensive training it offers, provides its students with outstanding advantages in both the national and worldwide labor markets.

For the past 178 years FEUP has played a leading institutional role in the economic development of the city, the region and the country, both in terms of the quality of its education, producing engineers of world-class standard, and the scientific and technological breakthroughs that it has made, which have contributed to global scientific development, industrial progress and people’s well-being.

A DYNAMIC ATMOSPHEREFEUP is located on the university campus in Asprela. More than a campus, Asprela is a true innovation district which is home not only to other faculties of U.Porto and schools of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, but also to private universities, a central teaching hospital, an institute of oncology and various research institutes, both foreign and domestic. It is primarily a technological location, where the strong presence of engineering technologies, health sciences and entrepreneurship lend considerable impetus to the process of innovation.

It’s also in Asprela that the University of Porto’s Science and Technology Park (UPTEC) is located. UPTEC is a structure which gathers together more than a hundred fledging businesses in incubation; it was recognized in 2013 with the Regio Stars award in the category “Smart Growth”, organized by the European Commission - this was the first time a Portuguese university had received an award for regional development projects at European level.

All in all, the Asprela campus is rife with the entrepreneurial spirit and multidisciplinary research that have allowed FEUP to break new ground in which to operate and thus broaden its expertise. Today, FEUP houses the facilities of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management (INEGI) and the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering of Porto (INESC Porto).

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4 ABOUT FEUP


U.Porto, a driving force for the Northern region, an international player


Recognition of U.Porto as an institution of excellence is reflected in the high place that it occupies in international rankings. U.Porto is a key academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking and Ibero-American worlds and its leading international role is reinforced by the prestigious ties of cooperation that it has with countries which share linguistic or historical kinship.

THE CITY OF PORTOPorto is the second largest city in Portugal, after its capital Lisbon. Whoever visits Porto for the first time immediately feels the pulse of a city that is not just the regional capital of northern Portugal, but also the main trading centre in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. Traditionally known for its Port Wine trade, the region is home to a large cross-section of Portuguese industry, in particular the sectors of timber, furniture-making, textiles, garment manufacturing, footwear, metal-working and various engineering industries. Its commercial activity is facilitated by the cargo terminal at the port of Leixões, which handles 25% of the country’s international trade, and also by Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, elected for the last 9 years by the Airports Council International (ACI) as one of the 5 best in Europe; its numerous low cost connections to European destinations have brought growing dynamism to the city. The historic centre is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and its charm and beauty cast a special spell on the city of Porto. But no less enchanting are the modern buildings designed by acclaimed names in architecture such as Siza Vieira, Souto Moura and Rem Koolhaas. The pleasant atmosphere, excellent cuisine, and range of cultural and leisure activities at competitive prices make it one of Europe’s preferred destinations, receiving praise from such international publications as the Lonely Planet guide and the New York Times.

The University of Porto, in the north of Portugal, is increasingly becoming a major contributor in global networks of academic and scientific excellence, helping to promote the worldwide transfer of its research results. As a research university, it contributes significantly to the country’s scientific output. U.Porto is also aware of the crucial role it plays in socioeconomic development, both at regional and national level, through its interaction with society at large and the productive base in particular. It is, therefore, placing increasing emphasis on raising the value of its research activity by means of transferring knowledge and technologies to industry and creating partnerships with businesses, which have resulted in innovations with proven success in both national and international markets. In 2015, together with the University of Minho and the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, the University of Porto created UniNorte, the first consortium of higher education institutions in Portugal: this cooperation brings the Northern region to a strong position not only in terms of joint applications to the new EU Framework Programme 2020, but also facilitates collaboration in other fields of expertise as well as in attracting international students to the region. U.Porto participates in various European education programmes, which have contributed to its growing appeal. The number of foreign mobility students has increased significantly, and with them the number of mobility partnerships with top-rated higher education institutions. In Portugal, U.Porto is the preferred choice for those applying to enter higher education establishments, which means that every year the number of applicants is greater than the number of available places. U.Porto is a comprehensive institution, with a large number of faculties and schools providing a diverse range of knowledge, continually interacting and offering opportunities for training at all stages of life. Though the university’s main aim is the all-round education of its students, it also offers numerous extra-curricular activities in such diverse areas as sports, the arts, entrepreneurship and voluntary service.

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6 ABOUT FEUP

Studying at FEUP means joining a community of more than 7,000 promising students at the biggest faculty in the University of Porto, one of the largest universities in Portugal, with more than 30,000 students. FEUP is proud to be the first School of Engineering with all its 1st cycle programmes in Engineering accredited by ENAEE (European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education) through the EUR-ACE Quality Label. An unprecedented level achieved for its nine Integrated Master’s degree programmes (Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Bioengineering, Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management, Informatics and Computing Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering) and Master’s degree in Mining and Geo-Environmental Engineering. This recognition proves that the skills acquired by our students meet the needs of industry and that they can work as chartered professional engineers throughout Europe. Following the Bologna principles, greater pedagogical emphasis is placed on “learning” than “teaching”, which allows the student to play a more active role. To enable this, FEUP provides its students with high quality facilities and equipment and services that can keep pace with recent trends and students’ requirements. These include cross-campus wireless Internet access as well as study rooms and computer labs open round the clock every day of the year. Besides all its regular services and facilities, FEUP offers a great variety of extra-curricular activities, including theatre, music and painting, as well as a rich variety of cultural events throughout the year, among them

A comprehensive education

classical music concerts, film cycles, exhibitions, seminars, literature sessions, and conferences on many different topics. A wide range of sports activities is also available for all community members. To prepare students for the ’real world’, we encourage the development of interdisciplinary projects involving other Engineering fields or knowledge areas. We also enable students to participate in research, innovation and entrepreneurship projects from undergraduate level. In addition, counselling initiatives are organized in order to provide advice regarding business ideas or the creation of innovative technology-based companies. FEUP has high quality standards and therefore seeks the best candidates from Portugal and abroad to accomplish its mission of producing competitive engineering graduates for the global labour market and key change agents for industry. This is in line with its purpose of providing a civic, ethical and social education. The high quality of the education we offer is reflected in our high postgraduate employment rate, and in the success achieved by our alumni in many highly reputable organizations around the world.

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FEUP sees itself as a true innovation hub and its central position on the map of Research, Development and Innovation (R&D+I) is certainly reinforced by its privileged location, the Asprela Innovation District, and the international networks of which it is part. It is in Asprela that the Innovation Centre at the Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto (UPTEC) is located. This centre represents a clear example of the cooperation between the academic and business worlds: several Innovation Centres for national and international companies are established here, involved in the development of new technologies geared towards the global market. The establishment of partnerships with external entities enables FEUP not only to enrich its research activities by sharing ideas and experiences, but also to seek appropriate solutions to current global challenges. Countless projects demonstrate FEUP’s capacity to bring about innovation in conjunction with the interface institutes that form a platform of support for Faculty research. Moreover, research is also bolstered by the Centres of Competence on the Asprela Innovation District, specializing in such diverse areas as Sustainable Energy, Smart Cities, Product and Service Design, Railways, Advanced Manufacturing, as well as Oceanic Research, Health Innovation and Ambient Assisted Living. The latter is carried out at the Research Centre for Communication and Assisted Information Solutions (AICOS), which was set up on the Asprela site by the Fraunhofer Institute. FEUP’s considerable technical-scientific potential has been applied in countless technology transfer projects.

The knowledge of university teachers and researchers has also contributed to the training and consultancy services provided to the business and public sectors, as well as to the establishment of standardized procedures that guarantee the quality and safety of products and services. Promotion of entrepreneurship is undertaken through advanced training in innovation and technological enterprise, publicizing of incentive programmes, organization of counselling initiatives and contacts made with available companies and investors. A significant number of entrepreneurial projects, instigated by teachers, researchers and students, have given rise to start-ups and spin-offs. Currently, UPTEC is hatching 81 entrepreneurial projects in the area of engineering, in its 4 Centres (Technology, Biotechnology, Sea and Creative Industries), which corresponds to about 47% of the total number of companies in incubation. The Faculty also leads the field in the Business and Innovation Network initiative - BIN@TM. This network includes partners from the University of Sheffield and USP - University of São Paulo - and held its last meeting in Sheffield in 2014; the next one will take place in Porto in November 2015. FEUP encourages application of the academic knowledge it generates to solving real-world problems. Strong links to the business and industrial fabric of society enable it to do so, thus opening doors to the establishment of relationships of long-lasting confidence.

Research and Innovation for the real world

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The alumni community serve as an important connection between FEUP and the world beyond its campus boundaries: our alumni represent both a valuable source of expertise as well as a bridge to hundreds of organisations and companies, many of which are strategic potential partners in the field of education and research. As alma mater, FEUP continues to invest in alumni development offering a broad range of lifelong learning options as well as a number of relevant services, from access to our richly endowed library to the numerous conferences, concerts and other cultural and entertainment activities. The alumni network is not only of interest for catching up with old classmates but is also useful for passing along information related to job openings or collaboration opportunities, as well as building a strong network and sharing relevant experiences. Since the end of 2013, when the alumni network project FEUPLink was launched, more than 40 alumni in 11 countries have volunteered to work as Alumni Ambassadors in 3 main topics of strategic importance for both alumni and the entire FEUP community: Universities, Career and Events. FEUP now has 14 alumni ambassadors in countries with a relevant alumni community: Angola, Brazil, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and,

Alumni Commitment

last but not least, Portugal. FEUP is very glad to have found an alumni community keen to be in touch with their alma mater: from the beginning the commitment shown by our alumni was very clear, willing to support FEUP in all our fields of activity and eagerly participating in the alumni reunions and in social, networking or voluntary activities. According to Mariana Santos, Alumni Ambassador in Angola: “FEUP is an institution of international repute and quality and we, alumni, are responsible for taking its name wherever we go; we are responsible for cooperating in publicizing our school, and FEUP Alumni Embassies worldwide are a good way of implementing projects and helping to spread FEUP’s name further afield”. The alumni community is growing day by day: more than 16,000 alumni have been identified on LinkedIn and almost 6,000 have joined the FEUPLink closed group, and so they are now directly linked to FEUP. There are also proposals for the establishment of alumni embassies in new countries with a significant alumni community. If you are a FEUP alumnus, we’d be glad if you could join the alumni community FEUPLink on LinkedIn and, who knows, become our Alumni Ambassador to help turning our community even bigger - more information available on www.fe.up.pt/alumni.

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FEUP engages in its core functions of teaching, research, community outreach and institutional management in a responsible and principled manner that promotes certain key values. It is our belief that only conscious choices lead to bright students following bright careers. The information programme carried out with high school students and educators does much more than simply fulfil recruitment ambitions. Its main purpose is to better inform people about the different fields of engineering and to make students aware of the environmental and social impacts of the engineering profession. At FEUP, students have the opportunity to participate in voluntary projects at national or international level, such as EpDAH - Engineering for Development and Humanitarian Assistance. Another example is GASPORTO, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to aid and human development in Portugal and the developing world. Headquartered at the Faculty of Engineering, GASPORTO has been undertaking very important voluntary work not only in the city of Porto, but also in Timor and Mozambique - its main goal is to instill in students an understanding of cultures and to help make the world a better place to live in. FEUP also supports institutions located in its surroundings: IPO Porto (the Portuguese Institute of Oncology - Porto), Hospital do Joãozinho (Pediatric Hospital) and Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro (Portuguese Cancer League). In order to ensure equal access and success for minority groups such as people with disabilities, FEUP also has at its disposal a specialized office offering support to disabled students or others with special educational needs. In addition, the “Student Support Project” has been

ABOUT FEUP 9

set up with the main aim of helping students in financial difficulties who cannot afford to pay their tuition fees, given the present economic crisis. The establishment of a Commissariat dedicated to Social Responsibility and a Commissariat of Sustainability, in 2014, comes to reinforce FEUP’s commitment to this matter. Currently, social responsibility also extends to the promotion of sustainable development practices in the management of the campus. The report on sustainability issued every year gives a good overview of the institution’s performance in various areas of sustainability. As a public institution that practices transparent and accountable management of its resources, FEUP produces an annual financial report revealing all Faculty expenditure and revenue in detail.

Positive effects of ecological and environmental policy are likely to arise not only from energy saving gained from intelligent management of buildings, but also from increased use of non-polluting means of transport, and the recycling of waste products. FEUP’s concerns regarding sustainable development are, moreover, not confined merely to its premises. Engineering projects geared to the outside world have a markedly ecological aspect, and the role they play in urban renewal and the construction of future cities makes FEUP a force of benign intervention in society. This same society can freely benefit from the many debates, concerts, theatrical events and film showings organized at FEUP. Music and painting courses are also available with the aim of awakening the artistic talents of our students. After all, FEUP does not just train engineers, but also educates world citizens.

Social Responsibility

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TO INNOVATE

A team from the Faulty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) has been developing a biomaterial with controlled structure, similar to human bone, to be used in regeneration of bone where it is lacking due to accident or illness. The material is being tested on sheep and it is hoped that within three years it will be available on the market.

It is a new hope for regenerative medicine: the possibility of producing biomaterials to be implanted in the human body in the area of orthopedic and maxillofacial surgery. The main aim of this research project, Tribone, is to overcome problems relating to bones, through the creation of an alternative solution which will facilitate regeneration of the patient’s own bones through the internal structure of the biomaterial, which will function as a support structure and will induce native bone regeneration..

Through the technology that we are developing in this project we are able to control the internal structure of biomaterials so that they become similar to human trabecular bone. And basically these biomaterials make it possible for the cells to grow in this internal structure and for the bone regeneration to occur more easily and in a much better way. When they are implanted, to substitute the human bone, they behave just like human bone”, explains José Domingos Santos, who is leading this research at FEUP.

What we are aiming at is for the structure of this biomaterial to be like the bone in the area of the lesion, to the bone that had to be removed or where it has worn out or degenerated. In other words, the biomaterial to be implanted should have similar properties to the bone it is replacing. According to Domingos Santos, this technology “is particularly suitable for mass production and therefore the main aim is to invest in the international market”.

The project is financed by the Agency for Innovation and was developed by a consortium which includes FEUP, the Pedro Nunes Institute in Coimbra, and three companies (Bioskin, Celoplás-Plásticos and Nanologic).

Text: Raquel PiresPhoto: D.R.

Biomaterials as a substitute for bones with

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This pioneering technology, developed by FEUP in collaboration with EFACEC, uses photovoltaic cells with laser-based glass solder to produce low cost energy. With a life-span of 25 years this technology could revolutionize the new energies market. The Australian firm Dyesol recently bought the patent for 5 million Euros.

FEUP and EFACEC put on the market technology worth €5M

The main features of the new Perovskite (PSC) solar cells are low production costs, great energy efficiency, and a life span of 25 years. Although these were features of earlier dye sensitized cells (DSC), PSC are more efficient. Both photovoltaic technologies allow direct conversion of sunlight into electrical energy in a renewable and sustainable way. The Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP) and EFACEC completed the sale of the intellectual ownership of the technology to the renewable energy company Dyesol. This deal, worth 5 million Euros, could revolutionize the sustainable energy market.

The idea first came from Adélio Mendes, Full Professor at FEUP, and together with Alberto Barbosa (EFACEC) he set up a consortium - Solarsel and WinDSC - under the auspices of which the sealing technology was developed. The two projects were coordinated by Adélio Mendes and Joaquim Mendes and the researcher Luísa Andrade. Within the partnership with EFACEC it was possible to introduce this technology on to the market at a low cost and with characteristics which make it unique in the world. It can compete with silicone, which is still the material of choice in the energy market. These photovoltaic cells enable easy architectural integration in BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics applications), take advantage of non-perpendicular incident solar radiation, and the construction of versatile architectural elements is easy due to their transparency (e.g. application on façades and windows), with different colors and deposited on flexible substrates. This is also clean technology because the raw materials used in manufacturing the cells are abundant and non-toxic.

Adélio Mendes, one of the main drivers of the research project at FEUP, reinforces the importance of such partnerships and international negotiations “when we

sell cutting edge technology to international companies we are able to demonstrate our ability in R & D & I to produce industrial value, and we can more easily attract new investments to so many other valuable projects that we have in hand at the Faculty of Engineering.”

With this acquisition the company Dyesol aims to end the production of demonstration prototype modules by 2016, and to begin mass production in 2018. Ian Neal, president of this Australian sustainable energy company is pleased with the acquisition of this technology and says “durability is the biggest technical challenge in this market and this welding technology has the potential to add over 20 years to the lifecycle life of various applications of solid state PSC and DSC products and so we are very excited about the commercial prospects “.

DID YOU KNOW…This partnership with Dyesol began four years ago, as part of BIN @ SHEFFIELD 2011 initiative. From the outset, this dye sensitized cells technology won awards and played a prominent role in leading companies in the energy sector. As well as the ‘ACP - Diogo Vasconcelos’ prize, awarded in October 2011, in the same year this project received the Solvay Prize, awarded in the field of chemical and environmental engineering by the Solvay Portugal group and Hovione.

Text: Helena PeixotoPhoto: Egídio Santos

Poached eggs for 8 a.m. The order was given over the smart phone and the eggs were placed in the machine. These are the only steps requiring human intervention. All the rest is done by Mellow, the domestic version of a sous-vide machine. Catarina Violante and José Pinto Ferreira, the creators of Mellow, believe that this kitchen robot could permanently revolutionize the way we cook in our homes.

Created by Catarina Violante, a post graduate student of Product Design and Development at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Oporto (FEUP), and José Pinto Ferreira, a mechanical engineer at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), this is the first product to come out of FNV Labs, which was founded two years ago by two people who love creating new products and who appreciate good food. Until then there only existed large sous vide machines, used in the catering industry, which were extremely expensive and for that reason were hardly accessible to the general public.

With Mellow, “cooking a medium rare steak is as simple as choosing the combination between time and temperature, and it is just as simple to cook perfect spare ribs with the meat coming off the bone. It is almost impossible to overcook a salmon steak with Mellow, and it can cook vegetables perfectly. And Mellow makes gastronomic experiments with eggs really simple”, says Catarina Violante..

The ease of use combined with control of Mellow by Smartphone makes the concept even more innovative. The software is cloud hosted and it is possible to create your own recipes and send orders to the sous chef to

THE SOUS VIDE CONCEPT

Sous-vide is a cooking technique widely used by chefs in top restaurants, the use of which is increasing. It consists of a water bath in which sealed bags of ingredients are submerged, and unlike in the case of an oven or stove, the temperature only varies by 1ºC. By cooking food for a specific period of time, at a very precise temperature, it is possible to cook the food according to individual tastes.

heat or cool the food so that it is protected until it is cooked. This intelligent machine remembers the personal tastes of the user, and so in time there will be no two Mellow machines cooking in exactly the same way.

Pre-sales in the USA surpassed all expectations, with 800 orders, to the value of over $300,000.The first of these machines will be delivered in 2015, when it is hoped that direct online sales to the public will begin. The process of certification will begin at the same time, in order to bring Mellow to Portugal and to extend sales to other European countries and to other parts of the world.

cookmellow.com

A sous chef of the future,

with the mark of FEUP

Text: Helena PeixotoPhoto: D.R.


12 TO INNOVATE

WeTruck: the project which will revolutionize the truck market

Created by four alumni from the Faculty of Engineering Porto University (FEUP), the firm AddVolt presents WeTruck, an energy solution which feeds the cooling system of refrigerated trucks, reducing the consumption of fuel and the levels of pollution.Winners of many national awards, this startup also won a place in the acceleration program promoted by Carnegie Mellon Portugal (CMU), which has opened doors into the American market.

Invented by Bruno Azevedo, Miguel Sousa, Ricardo Soares and Rodrigo Pires, the idea behind WeTruck is to reduce fuel consumption, particularly in heavy goods vehicles carrying refrigerated loads. To do this, the solution proposed by the four entrepreneurs from U.Porto uses solar energy and the synergetic energy of the vehicle to produce enough electricity to feed the refrigeration system of refrigerated trucks, reducing the number of hours the current diesel engines have to run. What is gained by this? A reduction of up to 87% in fuel costs dedicated to the refrigeration system, as well as a reduction of the number of maintenance checks, particularly of the vehicle’s braking system. This system also allows a reduction in noise and CO2 emissions. This solution brings many economic and environmental advantages over current market options, combined with the fact that it is a non-invasive solution without the need for structural changes in vehicles.

This startup company has already shown proof of its innovative and highly effective character, and has already won several awards in national and international competitions. Besides having won 1st place in the 5th edition of iUP25k, and the competition Startups acceleration, the ‘Startup Pitch Day 2014’, AddVolt competed against 20 other finalists in Model2Market in Mexico City, an international program to support entrepreneurship, where they obtained the 2nd place, with a prize of $29,000. Also last September the team went off to Pittsburgh, USA, along with three other

LEARN MORE ABOUT ‘INRES - ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN RESIDENCE’Sponsored by the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program, the ‘INRES - Entrepreneurship in Residence’ recently took four Portuguese startups to the US: We Truck, Xhocware, Displr and Followprice. This program selects projects in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) focused on the creation of new applications and technological solutions, relevant from the point of view of competitiveness and added value to companies and users. The program consists of different phases, starting with intensive training in Portugal, followed by a period of immersion in Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University with support from research and expert groups, global entrepreneur networks, partners, potential customers and investors .

Portuguese startups - one of them also rooted in FEUP (Xhockware) - to participate in a six-week acceleration program (for more information see box).

The founders of this startup also mention that their great ambition is for AddVolt to begin to “develop technology, products and services that contribute to the sustainability of land transport heavy vehicles and thus contribute to the improvement of the ecosystem in which we live.”

www.addvolt.com


TO INNOVATE 13


14 TO UNDERTAKE


Detection and characterization of defects in composite materials by thermography

The aviation industry accounts for 22% of European high-tech exports, with a consolidated turnover of around 82 million Euros. It is the most demanding branch of the high-tech industry both in terms of the materials used, and with regard to the safety standards it strives to fulfill. In FEUP there is a research project that aims to make aircraft safer, through early detection of internal defects that weaken the structures, using thermography. And the idea has already won over a world renowned multinational company.

António Ramos Silva*

We started working with thermography in 2010, as part of a research project funded by FCT. In partnership with S. António Hospital in Porto, we soon became aware of the very encouraging results during induction of anesthesia in different surgeries, which led us to extend the fields of application of thermography. Experiments in areas such as sport, dental medicine, the food industry and in the performing arts that followed were equally successful. With the creation of LABIOMEP in 2011, and the acquisition of a new thermal imager, we had the opportunity to study and validate the thermography technique in the detection of fissures in aircraft, the focus of my doctoral

thesis, which is being supervised by Joaquim Gabriel Mendes and Mario Vaz, both professors at the Faculty of Engineering, U.Porto.

Aircraft are the pinnacle of commercial transport today. Among many other requirements, weight, toughness, reliability and maintenance costs are extremely important attributes. Composite materials, in particular those obtained with carbon fiber, have been shown to be the best choice for the manufacture of structural elements, with enormous benefits in terms of weight reduction, resulting in an increase in fuel efficiency.

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However, there is a huge concern with the quality of manufacture and integrity of the components, because the safety of passengers and crews depend on them.

Non-destructive tests are the natural option when choosing methodologies and technologies for quality control and maintenance operations. Of the many available options, imaging techniques must be highlighted. These have been proved to be faster than traditional techniques, and can analyze large areas and complex components without losing strength or reliability. In particular thermography has been able to detect anomalies where many other techniques fail, or have difficulties in obtaining good results.

There are several ways to use thermography. However, active thermography, where stimulation is applied to the object in question, is the most effective. This work uses visible light as a stimulation source, as this allows a uniform and non-contact check. This action induces low temperature variations, so the properties of the components are not changed, but they are high enough to be measured (about 1 ° C). However, this type of test requires a correct definition of the various parameters, including: the waveform of stimulation, number of cycles, period, maximum area that can be observed, stimulation of font type, among others, in order to obtain the desired results.

This research work, part of the Doctoral Program in Mechanical Engineering, aims to develop an algorithm capable of identifying the ideal test parameters for conducting active thermography tests in order to detect, a particular type of defect in a component with maximum efficiency. The optimum conditions make these trials more efficient, improving the signal to noise ratio of the thermal images.

Tests on samples deliberately manufactured with defects are currently being carried out, to be evaluated by thermography. The test samples consist of carbon fiber sheets, sandwich plates with resin reinforcement and a body in cork, among others. These tests are aimed at the characterization of various defects for different stimulation types.

The situations of thermal fluctuations in test samples are simulated by finite element at MATLAB. Numerical simulations allow the estimation of the temperature throughout the test, not only on the surface but also inside of the components. The simulation, in a first phase, will be validated using experimental data. These values obtained in simulation are less susceptible to noise and other external factors not controlled and thus have a lower dispersion and noise. These will contribute significantly to the improvement of the developed algorithm because, in a virtual environment, the number of tests can be increased exponentially.

A sequence of thermal images is stored during the application of stimulation, which is then analyzed. Much of thermography tests use either a transient stimulation or a stimulation repeated cyclically (lock-in). Typically, the analysis algorithms of thermal images are adaptations or direct application of algorithms used in signal processing like the phase lock loop. These are frequently used in situations where the stimulation is repeated. However, in this case the information contained in the temperature curves is analyzed individually for each pixel.

The creation of processing algorithms specifically developed for thermography will enable a considerable leap in reliability and accuracy of the non-destructive testing where thermography is used. With this work it is expected a considerable improvement in non-destructive testing, centered not only on the development of a new system, but on the improvement and assertiveness of existing technologies, particularly in the processing algorithms of thermal images.

The possibility of thermography to deal with metals, polymeric materials and composites will have a wide applicability field. With this work of research we expect to put the Faculty of Engineering at the forefront regarding the realization of non-destructive testing with thermography that will be an integral part of European standards for maintenance on aircrafts.

* Phd Student in Mechanical Engineering

DID YOU KNOW…

The word “thermography” comes from the combination of two Greek words: Thermos (meaning heat) and graphy (which means representation or writing). Thermography is then the graphical representation of temperature across a range of appropriate colors. Thermography measures the portion of radiation of the electromagnetic spectrum concerning the infrared radiation that is naturally emitted by objects. Through specific algorithms, is then created a corresponding image of the temperatures of the objects in question.

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Bio Boards: sustainability with style

Art, surfskate and sustainability. These are the pillars of the company Bio Boards founded by FEUP alumnus Ricardo Marques, which is dedicated to the production of skate and surf boards with recycled materials and components. The incorporation of cork is the brand image. Target for 2015? The official launch of the brand Bio Boards in Portugal.

Everything began in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in mid-2013. Ricardo Miguel Marques was writing his Master’s thesis for the Environmental Engineering course at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP) when one day he saw a young man on the beach, with a surfboard that seemed to be made of cork. On closer look, he realized that it was just painted, but the idea stayed in his head. Alongside the thesis, he began to study the feasibility of surfboards in this material with unique characteristics with regard to impermeability. When he arrived in Portugal he had everything outlined: from the materials needed to start the project, to the cork production companies to contact. After several attempts he obtained a response from the JPS Cork Group, which has since become a business partner. Materials and construction methods were tested and thus ‘Bio Boards’ was born’.

‘Bio Boards, Surf-Skate, Art & Sustainability ‘ is the slogan of this company, strongly inspired by a growing awareness of environmental issues and the need for people to differentiate. ‘Sustainability’, because skateboards / boards are produced with a minimum of environmental impact and a maximum of recycled components, reusable and biodegradable - the cork used is an agglomerate of recycled

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cork stoppers and there is no chemical treatment associated with the production of the boards. ‘Art’, because all the boards have an artistic and customizable component: the customer can choose the colors, shapes and size. ‘Surf-Skate’ believes in product differentiation compared to what exists on the market, since the boards have three wheels - two at the back and one at the front - which allows a very realistic feeling during training. All surf boards are produced manually and, ideally, always with national partners and suppliers. altogether with all these issues, Ricardo points out a number of characteristics of the products with enormous potential: they are water resistant, they do not require sanding because the cork provides all the necessary grip, they are much more resistant and they can be restored in minutes with the help of a maintenance sandpaper (provided), recovering their original look.

Currently the brand offers three types of skates - Bio Babe, Bio Fun and Bio Top gun - each with their individual characteristics and features. The Paddle accessory (a kind of paddle that helps the user push off ) is also available for sale and surfboards (already under construction), sup boards, balance boards and a line of clothing and accessories with cork will soon be launched.

Since the construction of the first prototypes, in September 2013, about 60 skateboards were sold in 2014. The initial prototypes still exist today and are perfectly functional, showing an above average durability for this product segment.

The company has two partners: Ricardo Marques as a mentor of the project and Diogo Oliveira, also a FEUP alumnus. Bio Boards has a network of partners crucial for the success of the brand, including the JPS Cork Group, Alto Relevo and Le Miserable Brand. The company’s

startup was funded privately and at the moment it is looking for an investment of Community Funds for an increase in production and for product innovation.

For the current year of 2015 the great goal is the official launch of the brand Bio Boards in Portugal, in the hope of creating jobs and promoting sustainable production: “We believe that we can become a benchmark, not only for the quality of materials used, but also for the distinct and innovative product that we have. Our philosophy is to promote both the sport of surfing and skateboarding, wellbeing and respect and concern for the environment”, says Ricardo. In order to achieve these goals, they intend to work closely with Surf schools in Portugal and to donate part of the profits to institutions involved in nature preservation and reforestation. Exporting is also a big goal, as the Surf and Skate market outside Portugal is much bigger. In January 2015, the brand was already present at three trade and innovation fairs in Germany, where they managed to establish contacts with prospective representatives of the brand abroad.

FEUP: A SCHOOL FOR ENTREPRENEURS

From FEUP, Ricardo takes with a lot of knowledge and important lessons for the establishment of his own business, “I think any engineering course gives us fairly comprehensive knowledge. I consider it a great advantage to have had access to this type of training ,and to the main benefits that I have acquired while studying at FEUP are: learning alone, a work methodology and the capacity of analysis. FEUP is a school that will always have a special place in my heart.“


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TRANSPORT: AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR CITIES TO FUNCTION EFFICIENTLYThere has always been a relationship between FEUP and the CMP. This can be seen by the fact that the Director of the School of Engineering in 1926, Luis Couto dos Santos, was the Director of Exploration Services of the Porto company Carris de Ferro, where he promoted the construction of the Massarelos Central Generating Station (currently the Tram Museum). At the time, he was a technical consultant for Porto City Council, and was responsible for the development plan of Foz do Douro. Between 1917-1918, he was also Director of Municipal Gas and Electricity Services of Porto. This relationship remained over the years and it is possible to find influences of that connection to the town hall. But this historical survey will have to be left for another edition.

Let us focus on the 90s and on the major projects in which FEUP and CMP collaborated closely, to improve life in Porto. One of the sections that most benefited from this connection was the Department for the Communications and Transport Routes, due to the creation of the Institute of Construction (IC) in the Department of Civil Engineering of FEUP. This Institute was created to promote and facilitate the involvement of researchers in projects that supported the external community, with their high level of knowledge and specific skills. At the same time, mobility in Porto

The Academy, the City Council and Institutions working together on the evolution of cities

With an area of more than 40km2 and a population of about 260,000, every day the city of Porto sees about 1.2 million travelers using all modes of transport available. The built heritage, both new buildings and those in need of restoration, is also notable, as is the population flow and the level of noise produced. The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) has been working with the City of Porto (CMP) to monitor and provide solutions to some of the problems that arise daily. Here are some details of these projects.

began to be a problem for policy makers, a challenge which required concrete answers, based on extensive studies that were beginning to emerge in the early 90s. Then, 1990/91, saw the appearance of the study “Street characteristics of the City of Porto” which was the first step towards the “Implementation of the Centralized Traffic Control System in Porto City.” Teachers from the Road Network Unit participated in the start up and were also part of the jury to assess proposals for provision of a Centralized System for Urban Traffic Control, a system that remains in operation today.

Similar to what happens in most European cities, the use of individual means of transport is on the increase in Porto - this is the primary means of transport in the metropolitan area, with a distribution of 50% compared to only 19% for public transport. In addition to leading to situations of congestion and illegal parking, this also generates a decrease in road safety conditions and increased air and noise pollution. By analyzing all these conditions, it is possible to conclude that this is obviously reflected in the reduction of the quality of life for the citizens of Porto.

Since the first joint initiatives between FEUP and CMP, the relationship has been cemented and strengthened. On the side of the Faculty of Engineering the professors

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TO PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY

The issue of road safety is inseparable from the concept of ‘Smarts Cities’. ‘Smarts Cities’ are based on the concept of a sustainable city where road safety is a fundamental factor. Portugal has seen an increase in the concentration of accidents in urban areas, which interferes with quality of the mobility of citizens. With this issue in mind, and assuming that human life has no “price”, came the Swedish concept “Vision Zero”, which is now part of the European Community strategy and intends to eliminate / reduce to zero the number of deaths and also the number of serious and less serious injuries from accidents.

The city of Porto in general and FEUP in particular, have given special attention to this topic, with a set of projects of correction of places with the highest concentration of accidents. At this time there is an effort to maintain and

of the Transport Infrastructures Division, through the Traffic Analysis Laboratory, have been the major drivers of various activities such as the preparation of studies and participation in research projects, some of them at international level. There are some important milestones to highlight: the regulation of traffic lights, with particular attention to the placement of sensors in a pedestrian intersection in the city, an innovative project at European level in the year of its implementation (1992/93); studies on the traffic during Porto 2001 Capital of Culture; Creation of a Mobility Shop (2001); studies of accidents with particular emphasis on identifying the worst accident spots in the road network of the city; the flow of traffic in the city of Porto (2002/03) and the characterization of the parking system in the city of Porto (2005).

Three important studies must be mentioned which arose from this joint collaboration, which brought evident improvement to the functioning of the city. The opening of the “BUS” lanes to mopeds and motorcycles - monitoring and evaluation of this pilot project in Portugal was one of the most emblematic. The construction of the basic road network of the municipality of Porto and local network of Campanhã - Performance evaluation of road networks, identification of critical points and proposals for corrective measures was another very important project for the city, as well as the characterization and evaluation of parking supply and demand in the city with the definition of strategic proposals and parking policy measures to be implemented.

SMART AND FUTURE CITIESSmart cities rely on technological advances to develop and improve the quality of life of the population, as mobility is an essential part of its development. In the transport

sector there are several aspects that require measures in order to improve the current situation. An example is the energy and environmental issues related to vehicles, where measures are encouraged such as the production of more environmentally friendly vehicles, more sustainable means/modes of transport and the use of new technologies in the creation of tools to assist in the resolution of the phenomenon of traffic congestion by removing bottlenecks.

Still on the subject of the evolution of cities, there is the project Future Cities. Launched in 2013 and funded with 1.6 million Euros from the European Commission, the Future Cities project brings together researchers from the Faculties of Engineering (FEUP), Sciences (FCUP) and Psychology and Educational Sciences (FPCEUP) and several research units of the University of Porto working together with national and international partners (University of Aveiro), the Telecommunications Institute, Carnegie Mellon and MIT. This joint force, which also involves companies and institutions such as the CMP, Porto Digital, STCP (tram and bus company) and dozens of industrial partners has generated, for example, the installation of sensors and equipment to collect and send information, in order to improve mobility, safety and quality of life of citizens of Porto. An example of another important project was the 2014 creation of the largest vehicle internet network in the world, with the connection between more than 400 city buses, allowing access to WiFi for about 60,000 users per month. Essentially, the Future Cities project aims to transform the city of Porto into a “living laboratory” for cities of the future, providing the University and the city with experimental platforms on an urban scale, through support for experimental and interdisciplinary research in several cutting-edge areas.

systematize the action at the infrastructure level based on accident rate. After correcting the critical sites, comes the next step: prevention. Sites with specific mobility (e.g near schools and shopping areas) should be analyzed in particular to create an urban environment that protects users, and to inform drivers that they are in an area where they should adapt their behavior to prevent the risk of accidents.

In addition, with the increase in tourism, the city faces daily changes that affect mobility and hence road safety, which makes it mandatory to redefine strategies for mobility. Experts in this area from the Engineering Faculty also highlight that it is necessary to have a good information data basis, ideally in real time, in order to be able to correctly adjust strategy and take swift action.

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NOISE MAP OF PORTO CITYThe problem of noise in cities is an issue that needs to be analyzed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are serious consequences that may arise from the fact that a person cannot sleep and rest properly. Aware of this reality, and of recent legislation, in 2004, the CMP commissioned a thorough study of noise in the city from the Acoustics Laboratory based at FEUP: the main goal was the preparation of noise maps to identify critical areas in the city.

The team led by Rui Calejo, then technical director of FEUP Acoustics Laboratory, agreed to this pioneering action with the municipality and managed to identify the main thoroughfares in which maximum noise levels (measured in decibels) went far beyond the recommended average. Following on from this, the Research and Development Centers in Acoustics Engineering (NI & DEA), also headed by Rui Calejo, a Municipal Noise Reduction Plan was set up, which advises on noise mitigation measures, from the installation of double glazed windows to the replacement of the surface of the streets. One of the results of the development of these maps were some conclusions: it is noted for example that during daytime, the areas closest to major roads are exposed to noise volumes that, without the protection of the surrounding buildings, can cause hearing loss in the short and long-term or even stress

problems and work and traffic accidents. There are specific areas such as schools, that are close to the Via de Cintura Interna (VCI) and have values of 70 decibels, which, in the absence of soundproofing for classrooms, can have serious consequences: A child exposed to high levels of noise during school age and bad acoustics inside the rooms, not only has difficulty in learning but also tends to achieve lower levels in level.

The municipality of Porto now has a leading group in management of urban noise, making it one of the pioneers in the production of noise maps, in line with the directives of the Municipal Development Plan. It is envisaged that in the coming years the example will spread to other cities which have already expressed willingness to work with Rui Calejo’s team.

TO APPLY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF METROPOLISESAn important integral component of today’s cities has to do with artificial intelligence and its mechanisms. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that aims to develop devices that simulate the human ability to reason, understand, make decisions and solve problems. This area has existed for decades, and is largely driven by the rapid


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development of information technology and computing, allowing new elements to be quickly integrated. In the case of FEUP, there are two major projects under development in the Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science Lab (LIACC), led by the teacher Rosaldo Rossetti: “MAS-Ter LAB“ and “Serious Games and Social Simulation”, both with a practical impact on mobility within cities.

The “MAS-Ter LAB“ consists of a platform based on multi-agent simulation and analysis of transport systems, which by using the concept of intelligent agents and artificial intelligence techniques, can assist through the various stages of planning, management, control and operation of traffic and transport system. The real world designs the transport system in urban areas, and in these systems the physical components, such as travelers and traffic and intelligent transportation control systems coexist and interact. With the MAS-Ter LAB project, dedicated artificial agents assist in the process of simulation of different control strategies and management policies, implemented and tested in a virtual domain before their effective implementation in the real system. What we are witnessing is a dynamic interaction between subsystems, favoring the analysis of new solutions for urban mobility.

“Serious Games and Social Simulation” consists of computer games which aim to go further than pure entertainment. These games are designed to be used in behavioral modeling in mobility systems. Although it is possible to analyze and acquire a large amount of information through the sensor network technology, the cognitive part, the decision-making and semantics remain difficult to capture in models of social simulation. With “serious games” it is possible to fill this gap, since they aim to induce players to perform certain actions that allow better understanding of the structure of their behavior and decision-making processes, thus facilitating its modeling. This project is relatively new and it is being undertaken both with pedestrian models as well as with driver models, in order to improve the representativeness of social simulation models in mobility systems.

ACADEMIC-CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS: ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGSFEUP partnerships aimed at developing and improving the quality of life in cities are not limited to CMP. An example of this is the result of a joint effort between the Faculty and the company CIN, Iberian leader in the paint and varnish industry, aiming to reduce energy consumption of buildings without recourse to major structural work. The answer appeared in 2010, with a very innovative product: Thermocin.

Maintaining the ideal temperature inside the home and in the workplace is one of the greatest factors in energy consumption. It was through thinking about this consumer need that Thermocin paint was developed, a reflective paint for painting roofs and canopies that reflects solar radiation and increases the thermal comfort inside buildings. It is a truly innovative solution that meets the legal requirements for energy certification of housing, both from the economic and environmental point of view.

The efficiency of this paint was demonstrated by a study led by the FEUP teacher Adélio Mendes, who proved that the use of Thermocin in painting roofs helps to reduce indoor air temperature by up to 6 ° C. This paint also increases the useful life of the roof or canopy as it is resistant to bad weather and to the development of fungi.

In addition to being a ‘user friendly’ solution due to its easy application, Thermocin is an aqueous paint with a low-solvent level and therefore with less environmental impact.Thermocin is a clear example of how projects resulting from synergies and partnerships between corporate innovation, skills and knowledge and academic know-how give rise to successful solutions. The innovative features of Thermocin were officially recognized by consumers when, having merited the confidence of approximately 90% of respondents, it received, the 2012 ‘Product of the Year’ prize.

FEUP-CMP COOPERATION: A STORY OF SUCCESS

The cooperative relationship between the two institutions has existed since the early days of FEUP. Over the years it has been possible possible to identify strategic projects of great importance in the evolution of technology and processes in the city. Paulo Calçada responsible for area of Innovation at CMP and former researcher at FEUP is very clear: “FEUP is the true catalytic energy in the development of the city in fundamental areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship. Without this energy it would not have been possible to develop partnerships that now allow us to design the city for a level of development that we both aspire to. The quality of trained human resources and excellence in science and research produced, are differentiating factors of FEUP, and unique ingredients for successful partnerships such as ours.”

One of the most respected Portuguese strategists of our day, José Manuel Félix Ribeiro speaks passionately about his areas of speciality and believes in the potential of Portuguese sovereignty, even after one more rescue package from the Troika. He has dedicated much of his life to prospective studies and geopolitical analysis. As an economist he worked in Public Administration and his main areas of thought are growth and strategy. He defends the idea that it is not with its labor force that a European country such as Portugal can compete but through valorization of its human capital. Following his work with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Global Northwest Cooperation Platform, which was decisive in affirming the strategic value of the macro region which extends from Braga to Aveiro, José Manuel Felix Ribeiro accepted the challenge to draft the strategic plan for the Faculty of Engineering for the next 15 years.

“The creation of UPTEC is an example of the dynamics of creating ecosystems of innovation“

interview: Raquel PiresPhoto: Egídio Santos


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I will start by asking you for a diagnosis of our country and the challenges that we face in terms of the economy.Currently, the principal problem of the Portuguese economy is Investment, namely new investment in the offer of goods and services which are able to compete in the international markets. Indeed, the upswing in our growth in the 2015-2020 period will primarily have to be based on a new wave of investment in exportation of goods, services, contents and concepts opening up opportunities in the external market which are sufficiently vast to justify a substantial and continuous investment in the export sector and which, at the same time, will contribute to the diversification and sophistication of the range of exportation activities, allowing a substantial increase in the productivity of our economy. And which will mark the return to growth in exports to developed economies - namely the USA and Europe - after this period of exportation to countries producing raw materials with weak industries, which happened during the super cycle of raw materials on a worldwide scale.

In your opinion, did the Troika rescue packages offered to Greece and Portugal undermine the European model?We must distinguish two aspects of what is usually called the European model. On one hand we have the model of economic, financial and social functioning which is dominant in the States which are part of the Euro zone, and which is based on the role of the banks as a central cog in the financial system, and on wide-ranging social protection assured by a combination of State and corporative solutions. And this has made it difficult for economies in the Euro zone to innovate and grow without worsening the situation of the public accounts. On the other hand, we have the European model of integration between sovereign state, in which the principle of cohesion and solidarity is assumed. The crisis of sovereign debt has revealed that at a European level there is no will to extend solidarity as far as subsidizing the Welfare States of the countries which do not grow enough and which do not reform their welfare states so that they become financially sustainable at national level.

How can Portugal be more competitive? What should our strategy be?It must be remembered that an initial period of recovery of growth - marked by limited ability on the part of the endogenous business community to self-finance and by the impact of the fragmentation of the financial space in

the Euro zone (impacting on the differential costs of bank financing) - will have to be based on two main pillars: attracting direct foreign investment (DFI), in particular industrial investment in sectors which are more intensive in capital and technology and with high productivity which can be sited in Portugal due to the availability of qualified human resources, to the advantages of Portugal’s location and to the substantial reduction in context costs; the expansion of the endogenous offer of industrial activities which are transformed by services (R&D, design and marketing) and overseas service activities (services for companies, services for projects and engineering, consultancy services, transport for third parties, etc.), with the participation of multinational and national companies which at the same time increase exportation and create qualified employment.

In this new wave of exportation, the multinational companies can supply VOLUME within activities with strong international demand, they employ qualified human resources and allow Portugal to position itself on a gradual upward curve within the respective value chains. Some big Portuguese companies, the innovative SMEs and the startups will supply VARIETY, attempting in both cases to rise in the global VALUE chains.

And so this is the “magic formula” for us to get back to the markets...Volume, Variety and Value are the three key components to underpin internationalization processes, ensuring that they are rapid in their effects and prudent in avoiding excessive dependence on a limited number of big operators. Apart from a new wave of investment in exportation of goods, services, contents and concepts, during a period of reduced internal demand, recovery on a national level also demands attracting revenue from abroad which is able to revitalize the internal market not only in the area of tourism but mainly through receiving a significant number of new residents from various countries in the world. Attracting foreign revenue could also serve to stimulate real estate and the construction industry, both badly affected by the crisis. Finally, recovery at a national level cannot fail to take advantage of the opportunities opened up by world pressure on food, energy and mineral resources both in very traditional Portuguese activities and through more intense search for new resources.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

José Manuel Felix Ribeiro is an economist. He worked regularly with the National Defense Institute and the Portuguese Institute of Internal Relations. He has retired from the Department of Prospection, Planning and International Relations of the Ministry of the Environment and Territorial Administration, of which he was Deputy Director General. Until 2011 he was responsible for the area of Economic

Prospection on the courses for senior public administration managerial staff at the National Institute for Public Administration. He is the author of a book on International Economics, Portuguese Prospective Economics.His Doctorate in International Relations is from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Universidade Nova Lisbon. He graduated in Economics from ISCEF. He was born in 1948.

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The main aim of the study “Global Northwest”, undertaken by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, was to affirm the strategic value of the Northwest macro region? Why? Would this be a good example for other regions?The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s “Cities Initiative” opted to deal with “Cities” as “Functional Urban Regions”, within which multiple cities exist in administrative terms. Together with the Lisbon metropolitan area, the Portuguese Northwest constitutes one of these “functional urban regions” and they are two of the major regional driving forces of the country’s development. Its future is therefore, important not only for the population and the entities existing there and the surrounding regions, (namely the northern interior region) but also for the country as a whole.

The Northwestern macro region, as it was described in Global Northwest, presented in June, 2014 in Porto includes NUTS III - Minho, Lima, Cávado, Ave, Greater Porto Area, Tâmega, Entre Douro e Vouga and Baixo Vouga, which together include the greatest concentration of exporting industry in Portugal organized around various consolidated clusters; in the last three decades it has seen the greatest combined investment in the expansion of public higher education; it possesses four public universities - Minho, Porto (2) and Aveiro - with their respective ecosystems of innovation, and a number of high quality R&D Centers, with significant internationalization; it has specific institutions supporting technology transfer, innovation, and entrepreneurship (with a number of emerging proto clusters). It is a region which is also characterized by a polycentric urban system which, as it is composed of a group of cities which, if organized in a network, could vitalize a macro region of international value and which could see the current unemployment level and risk of social exclusion reduced. These latter factors affect different age groups and imped mobilization of the largest concentration of young people in the country.

The Northwest is a macro region with 3.7 million inhabitants, with a number of consolidated clusters. Is it true that there is more industry in the north? How did these clusters internationalize?The Northwest is the main geographical origin of Portuguese exports, organized in consolidated clusters: the mega cluster of Food and Beverages, the mega cluster of Habitat, the mega cluster of Textiles, the Cork cluster, the Footwear cluster, the automobile parts cluster, the structure and equipment cluster and recently the Tourism cluster with various components; added to these are big oil refining companies, petrochemicals and other heavy chemicals, paper pulp producers and steel works.

This is a region which has seen very strong investment in the last 20 years in higher education, namely 3 public universities (Aveiro, Minho and Porto) and four polytechnic institutes (Viana do Castelo, Cávado e Ave and Porto, and the polytechnic institutes of Aveiro University). In parallel, the structural programs for Science and Technology (S&T), the very significant increase in national funding for S&T and the opportunities opened up by European scientific and technical cooperation have contributed to the development of a network of very high quality research centers. More recently, a number of proto clusters have been formed which are closely connected (with a variety of links) to the various knowledge centers in the Northwest in areas such as renewable energies and intelligent electricity networks; electric mobility, equipment and software; automation, robotics and domotics; aeronautical and aerospace engineering; communications, navigation and electronics; software for management and IT services; digital contents, multimedia and interactive communication; biotechnology, technology related health and health services, welfare and speciality farming.

We are talking about groups of companies, many of them SMEs or startups, which have been established or

Satellite photography of the Iberian Peninsula area at night

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which are multiplying around activities - or even around clients’ projects - which may contribute towards potential large scale diversification of the competitive offer from the Northwest, particularly if they consolidate and manage to attract IDE which would increase their impact on exportation.

We are still a country which is able to train the best students, praised and held in high consideration abroad. Why do our companies still not absorb most of our student with doctorates?In order to answer this question, we have to remember that the majority of activities the Northwest is specialized in do not need to have large scale recourse to advanced technological skills integrated within the companies as a decisive factor regarding innovation. Since the end of the 1980’s, public policies have prioritized the creation of technological centers which functioned as entities involved in technology transfer and in supporting applied research in a consortium, as a means to improve skills within the companies in the various sectors. Let’s remember the case of the Footwear Technological Center, the Technological Center for the Moulds, Special Tooling and Plastics Industry, or the creation of the Center for Nanotechnologies, and Technical, Functional and Intelligent materials, in which the Technological Centers of Textiles, of Clothing, and of Footwear participated, as did the Universities of Minho, Porto and Aveiro. But subsequently there was no policy geared towards attracting direct foreign investment in Portugal - and in the Northwest in particular - making the most of the human capital amassed since this period. More recently groups such as BOSCH and NOKIA Networks have made things look more promising.

The University of Porto’s Science and Technology Park (UPTEC), with incubation rates of very nearly 100% is a good example of our ability /initiative to create our own jobs in technological areas. What is it that prevents us from competing on a global scale?The creation of UPTEC is an example of the dynamics of creating ecosystems of innovation around the Centers of Higher Education in the Northwest, composed of three levels: a central nucleus which includes the Universities and the entities within the universities which function autonomously, and the closest polytechnic institutions; a first ring which includes the entities geared towards transferring technology and entrepreneurship (for example incubators) which are controlled by the universities through indirect participation or financial participation; a second ring which includes continuous relations with technology centers, expansion of the network of R&D projects in co-promotion with companies, taking advantage of existing public incentive systems, the establishment of partnerships with companies for the installation of research/skills centers around Universities, participation in the creation of Science and Technology Parks linked to business incubators. The importance of the mapping of this ring lies mainly in identifying the quality and quantity of the cooperative relationships for innovation.

In the future, it is essential to include in these ecosystems for innovation Business Angels and Venture Capital firms as crucial actors, particularly if they are proactive in discovering projects and ideas which deserve to be supported financially for their start up and to be accompanied in the understanding of markets and business organization.

Affirming the strategic value for the national economy of a region stretching from Aveiro to Braga, increasing its ability to innovate and to internationalize through an ecosystem which promotes synergies between centers of knowledge and businesses, and encouraging the cities to compete among themselves for investment, talent and tourists. These were the main aims of the creation of the Global Northwest Cooperation Platform, a project led by José Manuel Felix Ribeiro and commissioned by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, which gave the Northwest region of Portugal international recognition. The conclusions of this study reveal that this region currently incorporates the biggest concentration of exporting industries in Portugal, organized around various consolidated clusters and some proto clusters. In the last three decades it has seen the biggest joint

investment in the expansion of public higher education, which includes the three Portuguese universities with the highest international ranking: Porto, Minho and Aveiro. The R&D centers and the organizations in each segment which support technology transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship are among the best in the country and they are strongly internationalized. Finally, the polycentric urban system of the macro-region is made up of a group of cities which if they are willing to organize themselves in a network, could reach international scale, which is especially important in the context of attracting direct foreign investment and on another level, entrepreneurial talent.Studies with a similar approach are underway for the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon and for the Coimbra and Central Inland Region.

THE GLOBAL NORTHWEST: AFFIRMING THE STRATEGIC VALUE OF A REGION.

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“I am proud of this community and its activities”, declared the Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield University, Sir Keith Burnett, during the opening session of the 5th annual edition of the international innovation network BIN@™ - Business and Innovation Network - a proof that it is maturing. Three months earlier he had been one of the signatories of the Memorandum of Agreement between the universities of Porto, Sheffield and São Paulo, which had been negotiated behind-the scenes at the 3rd Universia International Vice-Chancellors Meeting in Rio, in 2014, which sealed the agreement for informal cooperation in the area of innovation, which began in 2010.

The Vice-Chancellor continued with an account of a visit he had recently made to the region of Araxá, in Minas Gerais, the greatest niobium mining and industrial complex in the world. Niobium is a material with numerous applications in cutting edge technology. He described how inspired he had felt in this exceptional place, both by the social and environmental responsibility of the mining company, CBMM, and the reference in the local museum to the impact of the pioneering research into the applications of niobium, undertaken at Sheffield University, especially by the Emeritus Professor Mike Sellars.

Community of innovation: the advantages of networking

Text: Carlos OliveiraPhotos: D.R.

The aims of BIN@Sheffield were to share good practices and to promote collaboration between the academy

and industry. The event, which was held in Sheffield from 10th to 12th November,

brought together 400 participants from both higher education and industry from 17 countries. The Faculty of Engineering (FEUP) sent a delegation of 20 people, led

by the Rector of the University of Porto and the Director of the faculty. They were

accompanied by 3 representatives of companies incubated at the Science and

Technology Park (UPTEC).


TO PROMOTE 27

The meeting continued with 12 theme-based events, mainly focused on Health, and Wellbeing and intelligent Cities and Transport, with an important contribution from FEUP researchers. The program also included workshops on Horizon 2000, softlanding and technology acceleration, and crowdfunding, the latter as part of the event Deep Impact 2014, which was organized in parallel by The Crowdfunding Centre.

In the meantime, Julia Cassim from the Kyoto Institute of Technology led a ‘Health Hackathon’, which took place at Sheffield Hallam University, in collaboration with the National Institute for Health Research. This inclusive design workshop included multidisciplinary teams of health professionals, engineers, designers and less-able citizens, with the aim of improving medical devices or to develop new equipment and applications. The association Devices for Dignity (devicesfordignity.org.uk) was also involved, and sponsorship was received from the Canadian firm Thalmic Labs, who made available the appliance MyoTM Gesture Control Armband, for the development of prototypes for use with amputees or people with severe reduction in hand movement of the hand due to lesions or disease.

That the event was a great success was clear to Paul Hatton, Professor of Biomaterial Science at the University of Sheffield, and a leading member of the Health Technologies Knowledge Transfer Network. At the official dinner, the host expressed his satisfaction, and also his conviction that the diversity of participants in this network makes it possible to approach the many challenges facing universities, companies and public administration in a unique and effective way. The dinner took place in the stunning Cutlers Hall, headquarters of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, founded in 1624, which played an important role in the main industry of the region. In partnership with the University, industry recently gained new life at the Advanced Manufacturing Park, an excellent

complex dedicated to industry and innovation, where companies such as Boeing and Rolls-Royce are located.

At the closing session, Pedro Coelho, the coordinator of the network BIN@™ at FEUP, highlighted that the annual event only represented the tip of the iceberg of the many relationships that have been established within the context of international cooperation. He also told participants that the delegation from FEUP had taken advantage of their visit to the region to visit the Institute of Railway Research at Huddersfield University and the Aerospace Research Institute at the University of Manchester, with the aim of establishing project partnerships. In the days leading up to the event, contacts were also established with the Institute of Petroleum Engineering at Heriot-Watt University and the Transport Research Institute at Napier University, both in Edinburgh.

The next annual event of the network will take place from 2nd to 4th November, 2015, in the city of Porto, and will be organized by FEUP in close collaboration with the Porto University’s Science and Technology Park (UPTEC). The theme of the event will be “Responsible Research & Innovation: a collective, sustainable, inclusive and system-wide approach”. The program includes a number of theme based events, workshops, a technology exhibition and other events which will be publicized soon. Access to the event is free.

For more information: businessandinnovation.net

BIN@BUSINESS & INNOVATION NETWORK

™

How did your passion for engineering arise?Naturally, through my attraction to basic sciences (Mathematics, Physics and also Natural Sciences) and also through the desire to be able to make a difference through engineering. My desire was as naive as it was ambitious. This was a vague ambition, which today would be called holistic. And so my first choice was Mining Engineering. But closer contact with Thermodynamics led me to realize that my field would be Mechanical Engineering. And thus early on I began to be interested in the thermal side of mechanical engineering.

Why did you go to Coimbra after being registered at IST in Lisbon? And years later, how did you end up studying at Porto University?I spent my childhood and secondary school years within about an 80 kilometer radius of Lisbon. I was destined for Lisbon University. In the meantime, closeness to a family member studying Law led me to transfer to Coimbra, even before classes had begun. And I freely admit that although I love Lisbon, Coimbra was a school of life for me. After the first three years (the degree lasted 6 years in those days), I could only do the last three in Lisbon or Porto. Once again, I opted to move away from Lisbon and I completed my first degree in Porto.

If you had to choose between being a teacher or a researcher, which would you choose? Give reasons.I never felt this dichotomy. If you are talking about

“The energy project for EXPO’98 was the opportunity of a lifetime.”

He is considered one of the greatest European specialists in the field of energy efficiency in buildings. He has led projects and managed multidisciplinary teams almost all over Europe. He was responsible for energy at EXPO’98 World Fair, a project he says ”he is proud of”. He is also responsible for the natural light roof of the Holy Trinity Church in Fatima. With a career linked to politics, Eduardo Oliveira Fernandes played an important role in drawing up laws with great impact in the areas of the environment and energy. A Jubilee Professor, having retired from FEUP at the age of 70, he is still active as an INEGI researcher and as a consultant on issues related to energy in Portugal and on international projects.

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teaching classes of hundreds of students, yes to some extent that can be an arid, somewhat disagreeable exercise. Otherwise, teaching is an expression of the exercise of research: it is making things understandable. It’s all to do with approaching knowledge in a simpler and more accessible way. The hundreds of talks, PowerPoint sessions, and all the other classes that I gave before them, to the most varied audiences, are the best illustration of this experience.

Apart from your academic career, you held political positions in the areas of the Environment and Energy. What are your memories of this time?I have the best of memories because, in spite of the scarce means available, it was possible to get things done. Of course, when I was involved with the Environment (1984/85), things were difficult. The IMF was here. But it was a time of dreams and of convictions. When I was involved with Energy (2001/02) it was a short period of opportunity and action. In personal terms, it was like an arrival. With regard to what should have been done, a definitive and irreversible path was left wide open for renewable energies (2001), in a country which complained it had no energy resources.

Is the world of politics very different from academia, as a place where there is the freedom to get things done?Yes and no. Freedom begins as a personal experience, in other words it isn’t only intellectual or ideological but also something you experience. You could say that University offers a broader space for this freedom. But in practice, that isn’t always true. There are a lot of routines, lots of things that hold you back, lots of demagogy and bureaucracy. You could say people are less exposed but that doesn’t mean that you suffer less. In politics, everything is more open, and so there is the possibility of more public and political scrutiny; you are dealing with more and bigger interests and there is more chance of things going wrong because of lack of dialogue. And if you are neutral, you make more enemies than friends.

You were linked to the appearance of the first wind farms in Portugal and you were one of those responsible for the legislation. In 2013, 50% of the national production of electricity was from the wind. You played an important role in this.Thank you for the question but it is difficult to go into much detail. Because, in fact, anyone who was on the inside knows

that there were a number of circumstances in our favor within the government and within the Ministry of Economy, where I had the minister’s support, and from those in positions of seniority in Europe, Iberia and Portugal. In 2001 had the privilege of writing and submitting for government approval a Program (E4 - Energy Efficiency and Endogenous Energies), which, with regard to renewable energies, was able to be fully implemented within the timeframe established (2011). But Energy Efficiency is another more difficult subject. From the outset, it involves all citizens individually and all sectors of the economy and all of those with positions of authority in society, in firms, in institutions and local authority. It didn’t get off the ground in 2001. And really that is true even today. Generally speaking, there is a great weight of ignorance regarding energy and the environment, which makes it difficult to get things done.

You were responsible for energy efficiency in the EXPO’98 World Fair buildings. Was that a success?The energy Project for EXPO’98 was the opportunity of a lifetime. Anywhere in the world, it would be considered an extraordinary achievement to manage to get a new city to emit 40% less CO2 per capita than the rest of Lisbon with intrinsically urban interventions, which in practice ran counter to the individual behavior of most citizens. Curiously, it wasn’t given the importance it deserved either in the social media or even by the local authorities involved (Lisbon and Loures). But that does not lessen the merit, which makes this project a source of great personal pride, and a contribution to the energy of Portuguese cities of the future, when [eventually] those in local politics, the structural funds and urban policy “get there”.

Until March 2014 you were at the head of Energia do Porto (AdEPorto). A 2007 study said that each citizen of Porto produces around 5.3 tons of carbon dioxide per year, one of the main greenhouse gases. What has been done to improve this situation?AdEPorto was created by U. Porto for the local authority (CMPorto), and was later extended to the Metropolitan Area of Porto, North of the Douro, and set in motion by me in 2006. You mention the 5.3 tons of carbon dioxide per capita, per year. I am glad you mentioned that figure because action cannot be taken without awareness of the situation. Based on this knowledge, it is possible to explain the targets that were set in 2010 for the city

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of Porto. In seven years AdEPorto made a survey and quantitative description of a reality about which little was known at the level of local or regional authority: energy. Energy has an impact on a global scale, through global warming and the resulting climate changes, leading to the fulcral issue: survival itself. This work was very gratifying and its importance was recognized by Brussels, though I am not sure that this was important for Porto.

And now, a challenge. How would you describe the national picture in terms of energy efficiency? Are we far from countries such as Denmark, a leader in this area?I was a consultant for the European Commission for eight years. And for 25 I had some responsibility in Portugal regarding regulation of heat efficiency in buildings, and although this may not be the sector in which most energy is used, it is certainly the sector in which it is used the least efficiently. In other words, it is the sector in which, apart from the technology and policies, both with great potential in a move towards energy efficiency in Portugal, there is less political and technical control and a great lack of awareness. In terms of energy efficiency the national picture still leaves a lot to be desired and it reflects the peccadilloes of our society: political and technical incompetence over the last ten years, opportunism, and lack of institutional and political ethics. In an area which relies on the energy culture of the actors and calls for widespread application, I must admit I am not at all optimistic.

Are you saying that there is no political will to put an end to our dependence on fossil fuels, in particular oil?This desire may exist in theory. But there is no awareness of the essence of the problem. Apart from the corrupt caricature, which confuses energy with electricity (this makes up only 20% of energy sold in the country), people forget that most energy, from transport to buildings, depends on decisions made at an urban level and not on the choice of the citizen/user. Let me give you an example. The Metro must have contributed to a reduction of about 10% of CO2 in the Porto Municipal Area, in other words in reducing annual capitation to less than 5 tons. The same could happen in buildings through licensing and rehabilitation, as was seen above in the case of EXPO’98.

If you were asked to name just one project you have been involved in, which one would you choose?Three ex-aequo of energy efficiency: i) the concept of “energy” for Expo’98: a unique opportunity with a broad scope of intervention in an urban area, which is very unusual for us and which was a remarkable success; ii) solar powered social housing in Vila do Conde (1996) : 16 houses in which there is a 20% reduction in the energy bill thanks to the use of solar energy for water heating , and in which consumption of energy for heating represents less than 5% of the total; iii) the concept of energy at the Holy Trinity Church in Fatima (2005), which led, among other things, to a roof providing totally natural lighting.

NOTA BIOGRÁFICA

With a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Porto in 1967, and a PhD in 1973 from EPL Lausanne, Switzerland, Eduardo Oliveira Fernandes began his professional career in 1968 at the University of Lourenço Marques (Maputo) as assistant professor. He returned to Porto in 1974 and in that year began to teach at two universities at the same time: as Invited Professor at Aveiro University until 1980 and at FEUP as Assistant Professor until 1979, when he was a “Research-Associate at Iowa State University, USA. After his return he taught as Full Professor at FEUP.

He has also held several academic posts, namely as founder and coordinator of the Applied Thermals Group in the Department of Engineering, in 1975, and as vice-rector of the University of Porto between 1986 and 1991.

Oliveira Fernandes has also been active in politics as Secretary of State for the Environment between 1984/85, and Assistant Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy (2001/2). He worked as a consultant for the European Commission in the area of Environment and Energy. And he has been the director of a number of non-governmental institutions among which are IEGS, International Solar Energy Society, of which he was president (1995/7).

[in politics] if you are neutral, you make more enemies than friends.

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Alumni Ambassadors @ FEUP: Angola


Since her childhood Mariana Santos had dreamt of being a doctor. At 15, and studying at the Colégio dos Carvalhos, she attended the vocational-technical training course in Chemistry. That’s when, inspired by two teachers who were Chemical Engineers, in less than a term she forgot medicine and gained a passion for engineering. Her academic career included the Faculty of Engineering, but in 2004 her husband moved to Angola due to a professional opportunity that had arisen meanwhile. Mariana Santos started looking and she also found an opportunity there, packed her bags and, in March 2007, she moved with her five-year-old daughter to Luanda. Currently Angola is her home. Managing the Angola - Portugal trips is not always easy: her professional and contractual situation only allows her to make two trips a year to Portugal, but she misses her family, which means that they also visit her in Angola.

Between March 2007 and May 2014 she actively participated in the creation and development of a new institution of higher education that opened its doors in January 2012. She not only coordinated and taught the course of Chemical Engineering but also held the position of Academic and Scientific Director of the Polytechnic Institute of Technology and Sciences (ISPTEC), recently created. After this initial phase, the project quickly found its own rhythm and is expanding. Mariana decided to move on to another project: the implementation of an industrial unit in Luanda. And how did the idea of becoming alumni ambassador take shape?

During her stay at ISPTEC, Mariana Santos organized several institutional visits to Portugal - including visits to FEUP - to establish cooperation protocols. After leaving ISPTEC, she informed FEUP that she would always be available to “help”

with the cooperation projects between FEUP and Angola. What better way to do that than to be ambassador of the institution? Mariana Santos already has many objectives outlined as a FEUP ambassador, but “before organizing any activity, I had to get my contacts together. Today we already have over 60 alumni. We had the first meeting in November 2014, which was attended by approximately 20 alumni, where we collected over $ 250 to donate to an Angolan institution. At this first meeting several ideas came up and they will be the basis of the 2015 program of activities, corresponding to our needs and possibilities” she tells us. Our FEUP Alumni Ambassador in Angola also emphasizes that she feels that people living and working in Angola need to create a network of contacts and that professional contacts often become friends and partners in social activities. Maybe because of the distance from home our friends become our families.

As for the existence of FEUP embassies around the world, Mariana Santos does not hesitate to emphasize their importance: “FEUP is a renowned school with international quality and we, alumni, we are responsible for taking the name of FEUP wherever we go. We are responsible for supporting the dissemination of this international school and these embassies are a way to implement projects and help spread the FEUP brand.“ Such initiatives and meetings effectively contribute to the rapprochement between former students and alumni with their alma mater, and the former student of FEUP concludes with the message that it is always necessary to continue to implement the motto learned at FEUP - “Virtus Unita Agit Fortius” (Virtue united is the strongest)!

IDENTITY CARDName: Mariana Mendes Lopes dos SantosAge: 42 anos FEUP Embassy: AngolaProfessional Experience: Having lived in Luanda since 2007, Mariana Santos is the Alumni ambassador @ FEUP Angola, one of the 14 locations where FEUP has an embassy. Although at first it was family reasons that took Mariana to Angola, the truth is that her adaptation to Africa was very fast, and she was soon involved in a number of initiatives and activities related to higher education, with a stress on social responsibility.

A N N U A L R E P O R T


Around 1500 students from 70 secondary schools visited FEUP to learn about the Profession of Engineer. The three-day event provided a close look at the Faculty of Engineering’s projects and laboratories through 120 routes especially created for this edition. A unique opportunity for the students to get to know FEUP’s training offer and to realize the importance of

engineering in everyday life, as well as to learn more about what it means to be an “Engineer” and the role of this profession in the protection of the planet, in improving humanity and society of the future, in competitivity of companies and also in building a better world.

FEUP was part of the top 200 in the fields of civil engineering and chemical engineering (classified between the 101st and 150th position worldwide)

in the well-known “QS World University Rankings by Subject”. Furthermore, and for the first time, electrical engineering made a direct entry into the 200 best places within the ranking. It should be noted that there is no other Portuguese university in the top 200 in these fields, which places FEUP in a leadership position within higher education in Portugal.

FEUP received a visit from Jamail Larkins, a young north-American businessman/entrepreneur who is considered to be a rising star by FORBES magazine

in the “under 30” category for his contributions in the energy and aeronautics sectors. Resulting from a joint initiative by the Aeronautical, Aerospace and Modelling Nucleus (NAAM) and the Faculty of Engineering and from an invitation from the USA Embassy in Lisbon, Jamail gave a lecture which aimed not only to present his business model but also to leave a personal statement on entrepreneurship.

The year started with the commemoration of yet another FEUP Day: 178 years of History that go back to the beginnings of the teaching of engineering

in Portugal. The ceremony included a speech by the invited speaker, the economist José Manuel Félix Ribeiro, who is known and respected as one of today’s best Portuguese strategists, who has published several prospective research studies. Aiming at strengthening the academic community spirit, FEUP Day brought together students and technicians, teachers and retired teachers and even the alumni and companies with the closest ties to the faculty in a ceremony at which prizes for Performance, Recognition and Excellence were awarded. This homage recognizes and values professional success, strengthening the very core of FEUP.

The Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, and the President of the CCDR-N, Emídio Gomes, were two of those present at the 2014 Future Cities Conference, in São

Bento da Victória Monastery, to learn about the work that has been done in transforming Porto into an “intelligent city”. The occasion also served for the presentation of the results of the first year of the project led by the University of Porto’s Centre of Competence for Future Cities, which aims to transform Porto into a “living laboratory”.

Inês Gonçalves, a FEUP alumni, was one of three scientists to be distinguished at the “L’Oréal Medals of Honour for Women in Science” for the development

of a biomaterial capable of eliminating the bacteria Heliobacter pylori from the stomach, the presence of which is associated with gastric cancer. The researcher aims to establish an alternative to conventional treatment with antibiotics, which have proved to be ineffective in one in every five cases of infection by Heliobacter pylori.

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Better known as “Parsu”, the service quality “guru” A. Parasuraman visited FEUP to give a talk on the concepts surrounding the theme of quality. It should

be noted that in 2003 the Faculty of Engineering launched the Centre for Competencies in Innovation and Development of Products and Services, which is part of a global project for the identification of research priorities in services, led by the Centre of Services Leadership of Arizona State University.

A group of students with members from Bioengineering courses at FEUP and ICBAs was the only Portuguese team to be selected to participate

in a program organized by the European Space Agency (ESA) which provides the unique opportunity to undertake scientific experiments in a hypergravity environment. The research work proposed by the Portuguese team aims to study the effect of hypergravity in the formation and growth of blood vessels, which might be applied in the field of regenerative medicine and also in in several pathological processes.

Mário Freitas, a FEUP student has won the CyberAgent Best Engineer prize, awarded by the business group CyberAgent which is based in Japan, for having been

considered the best engineer of his group in the semester from October to March 2013. A distinction that earned him the biggest prize ever to be awarded in this Japanese company, around 5 thousand euros, in a competition that involved a universe of more than 5 thousand workers spread throughout the 30 subsidiary companies in the world.

FEUP organized the ACE FORUM, an event that aims to establish strong links between the Faculty and renowned international Universities (ACE Partners) in the fields of Education and Research. The ACE FORUM is predominantly practical in nature, and its main goals are to work on joint projects and to strengthen cooperation in the field of engineering. The ACE

FORUM brought together more than 50 representatives of higher education institutions from 15 countries.

F. Xavier Malcata, Full Professor at FEUP, was the first Portuguese person to win the prestigious William V. Cruess Award for Excellence in Teaching, from

the “Institute of Food Technologists” (IFT), the largest technical-scientific organization worldwide in the field of food science and technology, based in the USA. “Mastering topics in process engineering”, “ability to communicate food processing principles and practices effectively” and a “unique enthusiasm for the field of food engineering as a profession” were some of the reasons that led to the award.

Synergies between University and Industry. This was the proposal of the “Inclusive Design and Urban Intervention” Conference, held at FEUP. Paul

Chamberlain from the University of Sheffield was one of the main speakers, addressing concerns related to usability and inclusion in industrial production. After the conference three lines of objects/prototypes for urban equipment, which were designed by students of the Faculty in collaboration with the Portuguese company Leets/Norchapa, were presented. This work was undertaken as part of a Curricular Unit and are designs that can be applied to an industrial scale and which are inclusive in nature.


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The European Association for Experimental Mechanics (EuraSEM) awarded one of its most important prizes - the Award of Excellence - to Joaquim Silva Gomes, a

retired teacher from FEUP’s Mechanical Engineering Department (DEMec). The award was presented during one of the most important conferences in Experimental Mechanics worldwide, the ICEM 16, held from the 7th -11th July at Cambridge University (UK).

From 11th-19th September FEUP held “Orientation Days”, aimed at the first semester’s international students at the Faculty of Engineering. It consists of a program of several days, which includes a welcome, informative and practical sessions, an intercultural get-together (international snacks), and a cultural, social and academic program which to let them know about the faculty, the Asprela campus and Porto.

FEUP’s Council of Representatives announced the results of the election for the position of Director: João Falcão e Cunha, 54 years old, takes on the Direction

of FEUP, the largest organic unit of Porto University. With an extensive curriculum in research, teaching and business, João Falcão e Cunha has defined strategies for his four year mandate which include internationalization, continuous investment in research, cooperation with the business community and a social accountability policy.

At the end of the 2014 Theatre Project, FEUP’s Cultural Committee presented the play “A norte da carrapata”. Directed by Ricardo Alves (director of Palmilha Dentada Company), the show brought together on stage several members of FEUP and included the special

participation of the Music Workshop of the Faculty of Engineering.

FEUP collaborated with NATO and the Portuguese Navy on an exercise with autonomous vehicles, which took place off the coast of Sesimbra and which aimed

at understanding the viability of the use of unmanned maritime vehicles in situations such as war or search and rescue operations. The REP 14-Atlantic exercise used autonomous surface vehicles, submarines and unmanned air vehicles, equipped with different acoustic sensors as well as several types of communication equipment on board Portuguese Navy ships.

Alfredo Soeiro, a Professor in the Civil Engineering department at FEUP, was awarded the IACEE (International Association for Continuing Engineering

Education) Fellowship. “To honour individuals who have undertaken extraordinary service for an extended period of time and who have pro-actively supported the development of IACEE”. These were some of the main justifications for the IACEE Fellow award to go to Professor Soeiro. Every two years, no more than two individuals can be honoured in this way.

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An article published by FEUP researchers Álvaro Cunha and Elsa Caetano won the John Henry Garood King Award. Attributed by the Institution of Civil Engineering

(ICE), the award was given to the article “The Viana Footbridge: Construction and Dynamic Monitoring” which focuses on the recent construction of a mobile pedestrian bridge in Viana do Castelo. The article describes the whole construction process of the bridge, which resulted in a completely safe solution, a perfect extension of its surrounding, the marina, the river, the cyclist lane and the continuous pedestrian route that crosses the bridge when it is closed.

Luís Miguel Fonseca, FEUP alumnus, was the first Portuguese to receive the “Fellow” title by the board of directors of the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

A recognition due to his significant contributions towards quality, development management and certification and for his continued activity in teaching and practicing quality management systems.

The Crowbar is an innovative computer solution with the mark of FEUP, which can help reduce the amount of time spent in software debugging by up to 75%. It

was the winning project of the Startup Pitch Day at the 3rd Edition of the Startup Boost Program of the Science and Technology Park of Porto University (UPTEC), held at FEUP.

The first meeting of former FEUP students residing in Angola was held. Organized by Mariana Santos, ambassador for FEUP alumni in Angola, the meeting

served as a way to connect FEUP alumni to their alma mater and, at the same time, as an opportunity for networking and for broadening the participants’ socio-professional networks.

For three days, more than 70 companies participated in the “FEUP Career Fair” which aims to recruit new talents. FEUP’s Employment Fair targeted not only final year students who were interested in acquiring new competencies and learning more about job interviews and how to prepare for the work market, but also recent graduates and the alumni of the Faculty of Engineering.


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ANNUAL REPORT 2014 37

FEUP received a visit from the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas, as part of his visit to Porto University to get to know

the many science, innovation and technologies infrastructures more closely. During his visit to the Faculty of Engineering Carlos Moedas was shown the projects and laboratories of researchers Manuel Alves and Adélio Mendes, who have been granted scholarships from the European Research Council (ERC), and some of the research projects made in FEUP.

Francisco Taveira Pinto, Full Professor in the Civil Engineering Department at FEUP, was appointed by the Order of Engineers to be the Portuguese

representative on the Standing Committee on Water of the World Council of Civil Engineers (WCEE). It is the first time that Portugal has been represented on this Committee, which aims to offer a global and open platform for all civil and construction engineering organizations so that they may cooperate in the search for solutions for better living standards for all.

Vera Miguéis and Pedro Sanches Amorim, teachers in the Department of Engineering and Industrial Management at FEUP were part of a teacher exchange

program promoted by the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). The teachers were taking part the “Faculty Exchange Program”, which provided them with the opportunity to collaborate in CMU’s research and teaching work, and to experience the culture of a top USA university.

It is called Seed, it includes students from FEUP and ICBAS and it won the international competition for sending an experimental cargo to Mars in 2018 on an

unmanned mission. In order to prove that it is possible to take life from Earth to Mars, the Portuguese team aims to germinate the seeds of several plants in controlled conditions on the red planet. The process of plant growth - whose name will be selected from suggestions left in the projects’ twitter account - will be monitored by pictures sent to Earth via satellite.

Phot

o: E

gídi

o Sa

ntos

Phot

o: R

.R.

12

15

18

18

20

20


* International students represent 8,3% of the students enrolled

NTU BY SUBJECT

Civil Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

PORTUGAL

2

1

2

EUROPE

13

14

19

WORLD

50

69

65

EDUCATION

QUALITY

FEUP IN FIGURES2014

Mobility students*

INCOMING

303Mobility students

OUTGOING

305

STUDY PROGRAMMES STUDENTS

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

RANK

QS - Eng.

ARWU - Eng.

NTU - Eng.

CWTS Leiden - Eng. *

SIR SCImago

URAP - Eng.

Best Global - Eng

* Ranking using the indicator P - number of publications

PORTUGAL

1

2-3

2

2

2

1

2

EUROPE

55

38-55

38

32

61 (W EU)

17

26

WORLD

169

151-200

156

140

188

77

99

QS-WUR BY SUBJECT

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Electrical and Computer Eng.

PORTUGAL

1

1-2

1

EUROPE

14-43

27-48

46-70

WORLD

101-150

101-150

151-200

INTERNATIONAL RANKINGS

Degree students*

314

Undergraduate and Integrated Master programmes

Master programmes

PhD programmes

Total

ADMITTED

1343

213

155

1711

ENROLLED

5818

424

729

6971

GRADUATING

876

148

96

1120

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

1ST C

YCLE

2ND C

YCLE

3RD C

YCLE

NON-DEGREE PROGRAMMES

3

4

912

23

Undergraduate Programmes

on graduation

38%up to 3 months

67%up to 6 months

80%Studied sample: 877 master graduates in engineering in 2013/2014Response Rate: 79.5%

Integrated Masters

Master Programmes

PhD Programmes

Specialisations and Advanced Studies

EMPLOYMENT RATE

RESOURCES

309Technical and administrative staff (FTE)

91%Holding a PhD

419Teaching and research staff

(FTE*)

24,280 State Budget (48%)

25,930 Own income (52%)

50,210 Total income (thousand €)

HUMAN RESOURCES

FINANCES

** About 30% belong to

the new shared services

of U.Porto (SPUP).

*Full-time equivalent

10,713 R&D projects

8,709 Tuition fees

4,560 Sales and services

1,950 Other

R&D units hosted at FEUP

R&D units whose host institution is external to FEUP

FEUP academic staff participating in R&D Structures rated Excellent or Very Good, or Associated Laboratories

R&D STRUCTURES WITH PARTICIPATION OF FEUP ACADEMIC STAFF

9 21 78%

Scientific publications indexed to the ISI Web of ScienceIt represents 19% of the publications of University of Porto (3861 publications), which corresponds to more than 24% of the Portuguese publications (provisional figures)

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS 729

38.3 %

61.7 %

Cooperation agreements with companies

Cooperation agreements with international universities

COOPERATION 132303

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER79/8

12/1054220

Patent applications filed/cumulative total

Invention disclosures/cumulative total

Tech transfer deals - cumulative total

R&D AND INNOVATION

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feup highlights 2014

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