Highlights magazine 2013

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING - UNIVERSITY OF PORTO 2013

FEUP leads European project on renewable energyFEUP and IPATIMUP innovate in diagnosis of infection linked to cancer

TO UNDERTAKEDesign and engineering inspired by IDEIA.MTechnical stoppers from 100% natural cork

TO ACTInterview to António Barbedo de Magalhães: “Engineering is a way of being helpful to others”

TO COOPERATEInterview to Alírio Rodrigues:“The greatest reward is finding former PhD students in different corners of the world”

EDITORIALFEUP Commitment 2020 Horizon 2020 - the next challenge

ABOUT FEUPFEUP in briefStudying at FEUPU.Porto, a driving force for the Northern region, an international playerLooking beyond the bordersResearch and InnovationAlumni FEUP around the world Business linksSocial Responsibility

TO INNOVATEFEUP programmes with the European quality label, EUR-ACEUniversity of Porto studies use of gold for cancer treatmentFEUP study reveals explosive pheno-menon in stars

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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, Helena Peixoto, Marina Bertoncello and Diana [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 - 2014

Publication frequencyAnnual

Circulation 1500 copies

ISSN2182-9411

Legal deposit360125/13

FEUP HIGHLIGHTS 2013

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University of Porto integrates Petroleum and Gas Institute

TO PROMOTEFEUP promotes 1st alumni meeting in London

ANNUAL REPORT 20132013 in review

FEUP IN FIGURES 2013Facts & figures 2013

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2 CONTENTS

Cover photo - Technical stoppers in detail (Álvaro Martino)

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without boundaries, by integrating the ‘knowledge triangle’ of research, education and innovation.

We are already working towards such a future. From the 5th to the 7th of May this year, we welcomed a number of respected researchers from several European and Portuguese-speaking countries to the 1st edition of the ACE Forum - Alliance for Cooperation in Engineering - an important event organized by our Cooperation Service. The Forum is willing to respond to some of the main strategic lines of action, promoting the creation of effective partnerships with significant impact, and contributing simultaneously to the flow of knowledge across borders. The theme for this 1st edition was “Fostering international collaboration in the 2020 framework”.

Therefore, we present here some HighLights of our activity. Our commitment for 2020 is simple and clear - to keep building trust through perceived quality and foster development through international cooperation.

*FEUP Dean

FEUP Commitment 2020 Horizon 2020 - the next challenge

Sebastião Feyo de Azevedo*

This is the second issue of FEUP’s Information Bulletin in English, a complement to its equivalent publication in Portuguese. It is an initiative that fully reveals the dynamic nature of our institution and its commitment to international cooperation.

Over the past twenty years or so, FEUP has enjoyed remarkable developments in all areas of its activities - from education, research and human resources to strong cultural activity.

As far as education is concerned, we have adjusted our degrees and courses, in terms of both structure and teaching/learning methodology, according to the principles approved in the Bologna Agreements. The most notable highlight of this process is that all ten of our main master’s degrees have now been awarded with the EUR-ACE label, a registered trade name of ENAEE - European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education. Moreover, for several years now, we have continuously been students’ top choice at national level, as measured by demand satisfaction indicators published by the General Directorate for Higher Education, while at the same time, supply is up significantly and we are attracting several hundred international students.

Regarding research activity, recent signs leave no doubt as to the current capacity of several project groups at FEUP for securing important research grants at the highest quality level, funded namely by the ERC - European Research Council, and by the ‘Capacities’ and Marie Curie programmes.

There are numerous rankings available attesting to the internationally recognised quality of the education and especially research carried out at FEUP. In most such rankings, FEUP is placed top at national level, and in the top 50 at European level.

For the immediate future, what matters most is consolidating the European Research Area (ERA). Representing a conceptual shift in Europe, this means being fully embedded within and supported by the 8th framework programme running from 2014 to 2020, named HORIZON 2020, which will provide a very competitive model of research with free circulation of knowledge

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EDITORIAL 3

Founded in 1926, the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP) is the largest of the 14 faculties which constitute the university. 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 faculties.

In September 2000, FEUP moved from its former site in the city centre to brand new premises at the university campus in Asprela, which represented a considerable qualitative leap in terms of available resources. The project, designed by architect Pedro Ramalho, currently comprises a constructed area of 100 thousand square metres and green spaces spanning an area of 23 thousand square metres. It includes several administrative, academic and service buildings, laboratories, as well as its landmark Library building.

For the past 176 years it 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.

FEUP’s aims, as established in its statutes, are to create, convey and propagate knowledge, technology and culture in the field of engineering, for the service of humanity, respecting all human rights.

FEUP’s key mission goal is to provide academic training of professionals in the areas of engineering and related services, in addition to conducting research and developing innovation through its third cycle PhD teaching programmes. Moreover, its mission aims include the transfer of knowledge and technology, the provision of services and continued vocational training, participation in national political debate and involvement in the economic, cultural and social life of the region and the nation. To these should be added the cultural and humanistic training of the FEUP Community, respect for heritage and the environment and preserving the memory of the institution.

FEUP in brief

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4 ABOUT FEUP

FEUP HIGHLIGHTS 2013 FACULTY OF ENGINEERING - UNIVERSITY OF PORTO

DEPARTMENTS Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering Industrial Engineering and ManagementInformatics EngineeringMechanical Engineering Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Mining EngineeringPhysics Engineering CENTRES OF COMPETENCEfor Sustainable Energyfor Future Citiesfor Innovation in Products and Services

Studying at 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. Moreover, first phase indicators for minimum ranking of FEUP’s programmes were higher than for any comparable courses at other institutions.

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 job market and key change agents for industry.

To prepare students for the ’real world’, we also encourage them to work on interdisciplinary projects involving other Engineering fields or knowledge areas. We also enable them 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.

Following the Bologna principles, greater pedagogical emphasis is placed on “learning” than “teaching”, which allows the student to play a more active role. Proactivity, responsibility and entrepreneurship are features that FEUP instils in its students from the very beginning. Being

aware that developing these skills requires an atmosphere conducive to learning, 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 select range of extra-curricular activities, including theatre, music and painting, as well as a rich variety of cultural events throughout the year, among them classical music concerts, film cycles, exhibitions, seminars, literature sessions, and conferences on many different topics. A wide range of sports activities are also available for all community members.

FEUP is committed to a comprehensive education, with an emphasis on academic knowledge and R&D skills, and a strong focus on cultural awareness. This combination guarantees that students can conceive, design and implement advanced and complex engineering solutions and generate added value. 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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ABOUT FEUP 5

EUR-ACE ACCREDITATIONFEUP is proud to be the first School of Engineering with

all its programmes 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 Computer 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.

Read our students’ testimonials on: www.fe.up.pt/student_testimonials

TUITION FEES AND ADMISSION 1st cycle undergraduate degree courses are essentially

designed for Portuguese students. However, according to new international student regulations published in a recently issued decree, international admissions will be allowed.

International students are eligible for all FEUP’s 2nd and 3rd cycle Masters and PhD courses. A considerable number of these courses are taught in English, but it is always advisable to learn Portuguese for use in daily life. We offer an intensive Portuguese language course in the summer and an annual course throughout the year.

Tuition fees for a Masters are between 999 EUR and 1,250 EUR while for a PhD they are between 2,750 and 3,000 EUR. These amounts apply to all European nationalities.

For more information on admissions: www.fe.up.pt/admissions

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6 ABOUT FEUP


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U.Porto, a driving force for the

Northern region, an international player

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, recognized as one of the best in the world in the category of airports handling up to 5 million passengers a year; 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 agreeable 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.

U.Porto participates in various European education programmes, which have contributed to its growing appeal. The number of foreign mobility programmes 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 sport, the arts, entrepreneurship and voluntary service.

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 holds with countries which share linguistic or historical kinship.

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FEUP’s claim to be an International School of Engineering cannot simply be put down 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 can it be 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 these visitors are, 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 research applied to industry, professional training and mobility programmes for students and staff, and the establishment of joint degrees.

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. With more than 50 European institutions constituting CESAER membership, in October 2011 FEUP was selected to be one of the few institutions integrated into CESAER’S Board of Directors.

Looking beyond the borders

FEUP’s vast network of contacts stimulates the organization of numerous international conferences on the campus, providing its community with the opportunity to attend presentations on topics of general interest debated by the world’s top specialists.

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 integrated training it offers, provides its students with outstanding advantages in both the national and worldwide labour markets.

THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF ENGINEERING The evolution of science, knowledge and

multidisciplinary cooperation, both in research and in training, can be seen by the impact of FEUP’s activity in multidisciplinary areas. A recent study shows that of the publications associated with FEUP teachers, only 60% of them come under the category of Engineering; the remaining 40% are divided among the areas of Natural Sciences (18%), Agriculture (9%), Life Sciences (6%), Social Sciences (5%) and Clinical Medicine (2%).

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ABOUT FEUP

FEUP sees itself as a true innovation hub and its central position on the map of Research, Development and Innovation (R&D+I) certainly reinforced by the international networks of which it is part. Yet of equal importance is its location in the Asprela Campus, where the University of Porto’s Science and Technology Park (UPTEC) can also be found. 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 been awarded for regional development projects at European level.

Besides other faculties and polytechnics belonging to the University of Porto, the Asprela Campus is also home to a central teaching hospital and a cancer institute, as well as recognized Portuguese and foreign research institutes. It is primarily a technological campus, where the strong presence of engineering technologies, health sciences and entrepreneurship lend considerable impetus to the process of innovation.

ABOUT FEUP 9

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 skills Centres of Competence on the Asprela Campus, specializing in such diverse areas as Sustainable Energy, Smart Cities, Product and Service Design, 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 Campus by the Fraunhofer Institute.

Research and Innovation

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The Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP) believes strongly in the talents of its students and continues to invest in their development, even after graduation. The FEUP Link community, therefore, includes both current and former students of the Faculty of Engineering. The alumni are a priority group: the success of former students is also the success of the Faculty of Engineering, and they are its main ambassadors! The paths taken by alumni cement the image of FEUP and attest to the excellence of the institution’s teaching on a global scale.

To advance the aim of drawing the alumni community closer together, Portal Alumni was launched as an open channel to strengthen links between the faculty and all its newly graduated and former students. The portal is a space for information and communication which is constantly being updated, offering everything from support services for vocational integration and career management to various possible ways of being actively involved in the community and interacting with other alumni. Of particular importance are alumni reunions, the first of which was held in October 2013 in London, the European city with the most FEUP Link community members, bringing together about 60 former students.

Simão Belchior de Castro, ambassador for alumni@FEUP in the UK, does not hesitate to stress the importance of this 1st reunion of former students: “These meetings have great potential: I believe that if a higher education institution wants to be at the forefront, it must maintain its contact with industry, so as to better develop and better prepare its students to integrate in that market. And I think one of the best ways to keep up that contact is through alumni because, as in my case, there is an affinity for the institution as well as an extra motivation to contribute to its success.”

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Alumni FEUP around the world

In order to further this ongoing initiative, with continued and invaluable support from our alumni@FEUP ambassadors (those strategic contacts who reinforce the links between graduates and FEUP), these reunions are to be extended to different parts of Europe and the world! Once a significant number of alumni have been identified in a given place, preparations begin to organize a reunion. Switzerland has already organized such a meeting, while London has repeated the experience, and the city of Lisbon has also hosted an event bringing together former students of FEUP. The success of these initiatives is clearly proven when former students of the faculty proactively propose holding reunions where they live (and plans are already underway for similar meetings in Germany and even in Angola).

The eventual aim is to increase the number of alumni meetings to all corners of the world. But this goal can only be achieved if former students help by sending us information about their experience, whether it concerns their professional career, the region of the world where they now are, or simply feedback with suggestions. So, to all you alumni out there, recent graduates or former students, share your story with us! Send us an e-mail at [email protected] and tell us what you have been doing so that we can make this community even bigger

www.fe.up.pt/alumni

ABOUT FEUP

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The bridge linking FEUP to the business world is built via partnerships that consolidate the relations of trust established between the academic and business spheres.

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.

The Innovation Centre at the Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto (UPTEC), located on the Asprela Campus, is a clear example of the cooperation between the academic and business worlds. Several innovation centres for national and international companies are established there, involved in the development of new technologies directed towards the global market.

Promotion of entrepreneurship is realized 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 Brazil in 2013; the next one will take place in Sheffield in November 2014.

FEUP encourages the academic knowledge it generates to be applied in 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.

Business links

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FEUP engages in its core functions of teaching, research, community engagement 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. The main objective is to instil in students an understanding of cultures and to help make the world a better place to live in.

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 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.

FEUP’s commitment to 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 practises 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 savings gained from intelligent management of buildings, but also from increased use of non-polluting means of transport, and the recycling of waste products. Another such initiative has been to enhance the approximately 23,000 m2 of green space at FEUP by transplanting 36 olive trees condemned to disappear beneath the waters of the Alqueva dam.

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.

SocialResponsibility

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FEUP programmes with the European quality label, EUR-ACE

The EUR-ACE® seal of quality, a trademark registered by the European Association ENAEE for a quality assessment model of engineering programmes, has been awarded to all

integrated master’s degrees at FEUP and to its Master’s degree in Mining and Geo-Environmental Engineering. FEUP thus now provides an unprecedented level of higher education in Portugal, the first School of Engineering with all its programmes qualifying for the EUR-ACE® label.

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The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) has just seen the completion of the process of awarding the European quality label EUR-ACE® to nine integrated master’s degree programmes (in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Bioengineering, Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management, Informatics and Computation Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering) and the Master’s degree in Mining and Geo-Environmental Engineering. The Faculty of Engineering has thus become the first School of Engineering in Portugal with all its programmes qualifying for the EUR-ACE® label.

The EUR-ACE® assessment system is owned by the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE), and is based on a set of requirements for distinguishing high quality engineering programmes in Europe and beyond. Besides the educational requirements, this system also incorporates the opinions and perspectives of the main parties in the process (students, employers, educational institutions and professional associations, as well as rating companies). In Portugal, the issuer of this seal of European quality to academic institutions is the Order of Engineers, duly accredited by ENAEE.

Internationally recognized, this system aims to facilitate academic and professional mobility of students and engineering professionals. Its main benefits, especially with regard to ensuring that programmes with the EUR-ACE® seal of quality comply with European and international standards and are recognized by employers in Europe, are threefold: firstly, simplifying application to other master’s or PhD programmes also with the same label;

secondly, a guarantee that the programme meets the educational requirements for admission to the register of associations that regulate the profession (in Portugal, the Order of Engineers); and thirdly, simplifying how to obtain the “engineerING card” and “EUR ING title” for European engineering professionals, both promoted by the European Federation of National Engineering Associations (FEANI).

With the EUR-ACE® seal of quality having been awarded to its nine integrated master’s degree programmes and its Master’s degree in Mining and Geo-Environmental Engineering, the Faculty of Engineering has now reached an unprecedented level of higher education in Portugal, giving an extra European dimension to its diplomas, which should lead to greater acceptance of FEUP engineers throughout Europe.

DID YOU KNOW?

As part of the assessment process, in November 2012 FEUP hosted the first international EUR-ACE® (The European Quality Label for Engineering Degree Programmes - Experiences and Perspectives”) conference, sponsored by ENAEE, in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering and the Order of Engineers. For two days, European experts discussed and shared their experiences of awarding the EUR-ACE® seal of quality to European engineering programmes and envisaged its continued future development so as to guarantee high level engineering training across Europe.

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Recently published research suggests that gold nanoparticles could possibly be used in new anti-cancer treatments. The study included researchers from the University of Porto and a multidisciplinary team from the USA, Sweden and Norway.

University of Porto studies use of gold for cancer treatment

An international research project conducted by the University of Porto and universities from the USA, Sweden and Norway is studying the use of gold nanoparticles in cancer treatment, since they are non-toxic to the human body and can be combined with other drugs aimed at combating tumour cells - unlike current conventional therapies.

The study, which began three years ago, involves a multidisciplinary team from the University of Porto - consisting of researchers from the Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), from FEUP, FMUP, the IBMC and from IPATIMUP - as well as the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Chalmers Technical University (Sweden), from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (USA) and from the Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University (Norway).

According to researchers, this study allows us to understand the mechanism whereby gold nanoparticles are absorbed by cancer cells. When used in small amounts

TO INNOVATE

Text: Marina BertoncelloPhoto: R.R.

these nanoparticles can encourage the “synergistic activity” of drugs for the treatment of the effects of metastasis development and to facilitate the effect of retention and permeation of drugs in the tissues affected. It is thus possible to apply them to drug therapies in order to reduce side effects such as the well-known “multi anti-drug resistance (MDR).”

Gold nanoparticles can be used in both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, having been tested in pancreatic tumour and non-tumour cell lines. This commercially viable treatment has aroused the interest of a researcher at Pfizer in the United States, studying the application of these nanoparticles in the passage of drugs across the blood brain barrier.

This study was one of the highlights from the blog of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), during its presentation at the association’s annual biotechnology conference.


A research study conducted by FEUP has enabled observation of an explosive event in two very young stars surrounded by a disc of dust and gas, capable of forming planets. The article

was published in the international journal “Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society”.

Research conducted by Paulo Garcia, professor in the Department of Physics Engineering at FEUP, has made use of the most advanced telescopes in the world and found that when the orbits of these two stars are at the point of closest proximity, they interact in an explosive event.

The telescope used in the study is called the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. It is located in Chile and, when integrated with the AMBER instrument (which combines light from three telescopes simultaneously), it can detect explosive phenomena in stars.

Paulo Garcia explains how this phenomenon is linked with the origin of our solar system, which formed out of a disc of dust and gas when the Sun (currently about five billion years old) was approximately one million years old. In this binary star system, one of the stars has about twice the mass of the Sun and the other a mass similar to Regulus, the “king-star”. Aged almost a million years old, their “solar system” is still being formed. These binary stars orbit around each other, making a complete turn every three weeks and being separated at their closest point by a distance only seven times greater than their radius.

“When they are young, stars have vastly more intense magnetic activity then the Sun. Around them there are very extensive and variable magnetic structures and also a disc where planets are forming. It is believed that the explosive event is due to the combination of a small separation, so that these structures overlap, with matter falling onto the stars,” reveals Paulo Garcia.

The recently published study involved the collaboration of researchers from Germany, Italy, France and Chile. The technique used in the research is known as interferometry and, according to Professor Garcia, enables information to be obtained with an angular precision 500 times greater than a telescope in one of the world’s best observatories. “There is another technology - ‘adaptive optics’ - that corrects the ‘twinkling’ of stars in real time. But even so, interferometry can obtain data that is 50 times more angularly precise. This technology is very important because the stars are very close and their angular separation is very small,” he says.

Text: Marina BertoncelloImage: Luís Belerique and Vítor Marinho

FEUP study reveals explosive phenomenon in stars

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With 5 million euros in EU funding, a team of researchers from the University of Porto’s Faculty of Engineering (FEUP) will devote themselves to creating electricity generation technologies that use renewable energy. Their main aim is to be able to present, four years from now, three prototypes of electricity generation that is 100% renewable.

FEUP leads European project on renewable energy

The project is called REnewable ELectricity COOPeration (REELCOOP) and began last September, as part of the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme. The initiative is being led by the Faculty of Engineering with scientific coordination from Armando Oliveira, of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (DEMEC). It is based mainly on the development and dissemination of electricity generation technologies using renewable energy and is divided into five major areas: photovoltaic electricity, concentrating solar power plants, solar thermal electricity, biomass and integration of renewable electricity within the network.

In accordance with the European Union’s strategic plan for energy (SET-Plan), the project will run for four years, during which it will study and develop centralized electricity generation systems as well as (small scale) distributed generation systems (small). In addition, REELCOOP involves the design, construction and testing of three prototypes of electricity generation systems that incorporate major technological innovations: a prototype photovoltaic electrical system integrated in a building; a prototype hybrid micro-cogeneration system (solar thermal/biomass); and a prototype of a mini concentrating solar power plant. Essentially, the aim is to be able to

create three prototypes of 100% renewable electricity generation, which will lead to significant operational and economic gains.

At present, necessary conditions have already been put in place for assessing some results, particularly with regard to simulations of these systems and testing certain components: photovoltaic cells, micro turbines, biomass sources, etc.

The Faculty of Engineering is coordinating the project, which also includes other partner organizations such as the University of Évora (Portugal), the University of Reading (UK), the German Aerospace Centre - DLR (Germany), the Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research - CIEMAT (Spain), the National School of Engineering of Tunis - ENIT (Tunisia), the Institute of Research on Solar Energy and New Energies - IRESEN (Morocco), the University of Yasar (Turkey), the Centre for Development of Renewable Energies - CDER (Algeria) and the companies ONYX Solar (Spain), MCG Solar (Portugal), Termocycle (Poland), Soltigua (Italy), Zuccato Energy (Italy) and Advanced Energy Systems (Tunisia).

www.reelcoop.com

Text: Helena PeixotoPhoto: R.R.

16 TO INNOVATE


TO INNOVATE 17

This recent study will revolutionize the way microbial infections in the human body are usually diagnosed. Through a non-invasive technique without blood samples, the new method can be used to more easily detect bacteria linked to stomach cancer. Animal tests will soon be carried out which will allow for these early indicators to be assessed with more certainty.

A group of researchers from the University of Porto’s Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), the Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology at Porto University (IPATIMUP), in partnership with the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), have developed a new method that will enable direct diagnosis of microbial infections in the human body, using a technique that does not require the use of biopsies or blood samples, as is currently the case.

The researchers’ work has enabled development of a real-time diagnosis capable of detecting specific sequences of nucleic acids from pathogenic microorganisms at 37°C and under conditions similar to those found within the human body. The first method, recently published in the journal PLoS ONE, focused on the detection of Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria existing in the human stomach which is a risk factor for the development of stomach ulcers and gastric cancer.

This new method of diagnosis uses advanced methods of modifying nucleic acids which, together with more established methods of molecular biology, enable sensitive and specific detection of bacteria. The method was tested in the laboratory under conditions similar to those found inside the human body, but animal testing is expected to begin soon. In the future this method may also be applied to other types of microorganisms that commonly infect humans.

To detect microorganisms, the method uses modified nucleic acid probes that are linked to a fluorescent molecule which from this make the micro-organism itself fluorescent. In a real context, these molecules will be sent to the stomach, where they will react with Helicobacter pylori. At this point a micro camera is needed to identify the fluorescent signal, a device that is already present in confocal endomicroscopes used in the clinical field. Researchers believe that this equipment can generate high-resolution images in real time during an endoscopy. Another feature of the method is that it can easily be adapted to be able to detect resistance to clarithromycin, an antibiotic typically used to combat Helicobacter pylori. With this information, physicians will be able to select what therapy to administer to patients in a more rational way.

FEUP researcher Nuno Azevedo believes that this research is of the utmost importance since “it could have a profound impact on how diagnosis of microbial infections will be performed in the future,” and thereby revolutionize an important part of medicine.

Biomode SA, a Portuguese spin-off in the area of diagnostics, has shown interest in following this line of research with a view to possible commercialization of diagnostic kits based on LNA probes.

Text: Raquel PiresPhoto: R.R.

FEUP and IPATIMUP innovate in diagnosis of infection linked

to cancer


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IDEIA.M began life in March 2008, following a project conducted at the Faculty of Engineering. In a marriage between design and engineering, this spin-off is the brainchild of two mechanical engineers, now partners in the company which they founded with the aim of achieving creative innovation that makes a difference. From products to services, and even experience, there are no limits for this enterprising young team.

Design and engineering inspired by IDEIA.M

Generating innovation through design and engineering. This is the motto of IDEIA.M, a company that looks to find solutions to arising challenges, always with a view to successfully getting a product on the market. They see themselves as a ‘one-stop shop’ for creating new products and new brands, and that is their business card. “Our creative process is not so much random as iterative, in that it is an evolutionary process in search of solutions to meet design challenges, engineering constraints and market contingencies,” explains Júlio Martins, one of the partners in the company.

The key to success, meanwhile, involves the biggest challenge they have encountered so far: namely that of bringing together designers and engineers in one single space, to develop a balanced product which meets the views of each. The company’s founders believe that their strategy has given them “a great advantage, since there is an understanding of the role that each party plays, which allows us to have a flexible team that is quick to react, creative and coherent.”

Text: Diana Sousa Photo: R.R.

With its feet firmly on the ground, IDEIA.M is focused on creating real products, which can go directly into production. The first step is inspiration: finding an idea that can lead to devising a product to develop. Work begins at once, modelling, calculating a structural simulation and prototyping, using 3D digital tools that check whether everything is ready to go. Finally, it enters the production stage, whereby digital models are converted into real objects.

The spin-off came into being as the offshoot of a research project that both partners carried out when they were still finishing their degree in mechanical engineering at FEUP. Júlio Martins is now responsible for overall company direction, financial management, human resources and institutional relations, while João Petiz deals with the company’s technical direction, focusing on technical, scientific and technological aspects, as well as product engineering.

The team (from the left to the right): Eduardo Gonçalves (designer), Pedro Oliveira (Mechanical Engineer), João Petiz (CTO, managing partner, Mechanical Engineer), Carlos Carneiro (senior student of Mechanical Engineering), Júlio Martins (CEO , managing partner, Mechanical Engineer), Gonçalo Lopes (designer), António Rocha (senior student of Design), Emanuel Dias (designer).

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However, there are three more resident members making up the team: Eduardo Rocha Gonçalves (designer), Emanuel Dias (designer) and Pedro Oliveira (lab technician); augmented by the contribution of three trainees: Gonçalo Lopes (designer), António Rocha (equipment design finalist) and Carlos Carneiro (Mechanical Engineering finalist). The resulting team thus sees itself as “multidisciplinary, talented, competent, fun and aware.”

During the five years since its inception, the company has dealt with many projects, ranging from aeronautics, autonomous vehicles, medical devices and laboratory equipment to musical instruments, furniture and generating renewable energy. It is hard for them to highlight one of these, though they confess that one of the most demanding challenges that they have accepted, due to its particular characteristics, was developing an ultralight aircraft. It is currently in the prototype stage, having been presented in April at the Friedrichschaffen Fair in Germany.

As far as customer reaction is concerned, João Petiz says that “once companies have understood our philosophy, it becomes clear that our action makes sense, given the very significant support we give to their innovation activity. The need to act in the global market requires a presence with a singular and distinctive product.” This assertion complies with the type of customers with whom IDEIA.M does business - companies who do not have their own product design and innovation offices, or do not have the necessary expertise/availability for a particular project, and entrepreneurs seeking to develop products with the prospect of creating new brands and companies. Essentially, it is as an external innovation office that any company can use in order to complement and reinvigorate their development teams, providing a fresh and unimpaired outside perspective.

IDEIA.M is currently headquartered in UPTEC – the University of Porto’s Science and Technology Park, at its Asprela hub, a location which the team considers

advantageous, thanks to its “proximity to dozens of newly established companies and innovation centres with excellent future visions,” as well as “its own incubation ecosystem, providing the company with an environment favourable to its growth. “In the future, they aim to continue consolidating the business that has already been undertaken, to attract more companies interested in their work, invest in collaboration with new partners and maintain an efficient and motivated team.

THE HISTORY OF IDEIA.M

This spin-off resulted from an extracurricular project conducted by mechanical engineering students at FEUP, under the guidance of Professor António Torres Marques. Launched in October 2004, IDEIA.M - Research and Development of Musical Instruments and Accessories - was initially committed to making musical instruments in composite materials. Given the success and amount of work being generated, it was necessary to move towards founding a company where finalist students Júlio Martins and João Petiz could apply the knowledge and opportunities that had been identified in this field. They were welcomed into the incubator UPTEC a year before the company began activity in March 2008. The team has an academic background in design and engineering, bolstered by international experience in Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium among other countries (both from Technical Universities and internationally recognised design schools). The company is now embracing a new challenge - internationalization. The UK market is being examined as a launching pad for new projects.

www.ideiam.com

AVA One: Electric Guitar developed and produced in composite materials for the AVA brand (www.avaguitars.com)

Technical stoppers from 100% natural cork

Recent data from the Institute of Vine and Wine suggests that exports in the sector have seen 4.5% growth in the first nine months of 2013, exceeding 500 million euros. Portugal continues to invest in the sector, taking advantage of having the 4th largest vineyard area in Europe. Aware of the dynamics of the industry and market trends, the company Amorim, in collaboration with FEUP, is investing in creating technical stoppers from 100% natural cork.

Fernão Magalhães*

For decades the company Amorim has been producing and marketing natural cork stoppers as a sealant for wine. The growth and diversification of markets has seen the emergence of so-called technical stoppers. These are made, in part or in whole, from granulated cork resulting from the use of scrap and waste from the manufacture of natural cork stoppers and disks, following rigorous selection and evaluation. Technical stoppers make up about 47% of total sales of stoppers. There are several lines, including Champagne corks (24%), TwinTop stoppers (13%), Neutrocork stoppers (7%) and agglomerated cork stoppers (3%). Net sales of technical stoppers have been significant in recent years, and in 2012, there was an increase of 3.2% over the previous year.

Binding agents, or glues, used in the manufacture of these stoppers have evolved over decades, and in the past a wide range of products have been used, including urea-formaldehyde and melamine glues, among others. Technical stoppers made by Amorim use polyurethane glues as binding agents. This thermosetting adhesive enables the company to obtain the demanding physical-mechanical properties that are fundamental to this product. In fact, the glue cannot undermine the features that make cork, the main raw material for stoppers, such an excellent sealant: flexibility, resilience, strength, structural stability and impermeability to water and alcoholic solutions, even at high temperature. In addition, food safety must also be ensured.

However, since technical stoppers use synthetic binders, they cannot be considered 100% natural cork. Sustainability is now an issue of huge concern in the developed world, and that coupled with the fact that we

Photos: Álvaro Martino

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MICROBIAL GLUES

A key component of the Gluecork project is assessing the potential of polymers produced by microbial means as binders for technical corks. These materials have advantages over those obtained from plants or seaweed since microorganisms exhibit higher growth rates, making it much easier to manipulate the respective conditions of cultivation. This aspect is of fundamental importance to the FCT-UNL team, which includes professors Maria Ascensão Reis, Isabel Coelhoso and Filomena Freitas (Biochemical and Process Engineering Group), which has extensive experience in the production and formulation of these biopolymers. Thus, among other things, polymers patented by the FCT-UNL team are being studied with a view to eventually being modified, in partnership with FEUP, so that they can be used as binders for cork stoppers. The FEUP team are also studying aspects of the physical-mechanical characterization of the materials produced, complemented by specific tests conducted by the company Amorim.

are dealing here with a product to be used to seal alcoholic beverages, also considered “green”, has created strong pressure across the industry to replace the polyurethane glue with a binder of natural origin. Nonetheless, there are, as yet, no known alternative solutions.

It is within this context that the Gluecork project arose, funded by the Innovation Agency under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN). Its essential aim is to obtain a binder of natural origin for the production of technical stoppers. The fundamental requirements for this product are: food compatibility; visual aspect - colourless, no visual change to the stopper surface; ease of industrial application; physical and chemical stability, including stability in ethanol solutions and alcohol, with no chemical or organoleptic migration to the wine; appropriate physical-mechanical performance, notably, similar flexibility to cork and also low absorption of liquids, so as not to undermine the impermeability of the stopper.

The project, which began in January 2013, is sponsored by Amorim and involves research teams from the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP) and the Faculty of Science and Technology - New University of Lisbon (FCT-UNL). The project is coordinated by the Association Network of Competence in Polymers (ARCP), based in the UPTEC technology centre (FEUP campus).

The FEUP team, which includes professors Fernão Magalhães, Margarida Bastos and Adélio Mendes, from the Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), has participated with Amorim in collaborative projects over the last 10 years. Many issues have been addressed, such as the study of the permeability of stoppers to oxygen, or the development of special coatings to prevent the migration of coloured compounds from cork to colourless spirits. It is, however, the first time the team have looked into the question of developing natural-based binders.

* Auxiliary Professor at FEUP

FEUP team linked to the project: Adélio Mendes, Fernão Magalhães, Diana Paiva and Margarida Bastos

Technical stoppers are today obtained by compressing cork granules with a synthetic adhesive.

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22 TO ACT


He has dedicated his life to active citizenry in struggles for democratic freedom and decolonization. His parents gave him a multifaceted and open upbringing which fostered creativity, initiative and responsibility, within a framework of great discipline allowing for almost complete freedom. He sought to provide students with the opportunity to learn and develop abilities and skills to teach their colleagues and to be enterprising. He has always considered himself to be a learner and as the theme of his «last lecture» he chose the question: «Educate, what for?»

“Engineering is a way of being helpful to others”

António B. Magalhães and the President of the Democratic Republic of East Timor, General Taur Matan Ruak, at the ceremony to award the Order of East Timor in May 2012

Interview: Raquel PiresPhotos: R.R.

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Where did your passion for the field of engineering come from?I have imbibed Engineering ever since I was born. My father was a Civil Engineer, trained at the Military Academy. In the Second World War, he was mobilized to the Azores, where he had to carry out military engineering work. With trucks grounded due to the lack of petrol caused by the war, it was an almost impossible situation. But there was firewood. Being the engineer he was, he built a gasometer, to turn wood into meager petrol and so feed the truck engines with this gaseous fuel instead of petrol. An engineer solves problems regardless of their ‘specialty’. It was also in this spirit that in the house where he lived in Faial, out of town, he fabricated an electrical generator, with the dynamo from a truck and a wind-powered fan. A battery enabled it to accumulate enough energy for the family home to have electricity.

What was decisive when it came to choosing mechanical engineering?As a teenager I loved making things out of wood, metal, motors and mini-rockets. The dynamics of civilization, driven by the force of machines, stimulated my imagination and constructive spirit. For a while, I even thought about becoming a doctor. But I couldn’t stand the sight of blood, and would faint. Engineering was another way of being helpful to others, and mechanical engineering had all the fascination of fire energy, chemistry, mechanical strength, the transforming magic of metallurgy and mastery over the hardest of metals, completely submitted to the will of the founder who shapes their forms with ease, at his pleasure.

You began your career as a professor at FEUP in 1968. Was that what you always wanted to be?Though something of a mystic and drawn more closely to meditation and writing, I have always enjoyed being a teacher. It has been a way to help train and develop new generations of professionals in scientific, technical and, above all, human terms. It has been a great way to contribute towards building a better world through my former students and also to stay youthful by mixing with students.

How do you view the current situation of higher education in Portugal? Has it been revolutionized by Bologna?I’ve always been very critical of the dominant educational system, both in Portugal and around the world. The model continues to be that of the Industrial Age, aimed at training technical and administrative staff for companies and for public administration, without challenging the dominant political, financial and economic system. It remains a system that does not develop creativity, critical thinking or initiative. The ‘Bologna’ model is more focused on learning than teaching, which is very different and makes complete sense. It also emphasizes the development of abilities and skills (in addition to knowledge), which is essential. So, it has been a very important

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

António Barbedo Magalhães graduated in Mechanical Engineering from FEUP in 1968, and did his PhD in Applied Sciences at the University of Gent (Belgium) in 1973. Full Professor at FEUP since 1989, in 2004 he launched the student-led PUKHA Projects (to Project, Undertake and Know How to Achieve). This initiative was awarded by COTEC and recognized as the best project for the “Promotion of Entrepreneurship in Portuguese Higher Education students.” From 2008, this model of pedagogical teaching was extended to the whole of Porto, becoming known as “LIDERA Projects”. António Barbedo Magalhães was also director of the 1st PhD Program in Occupational Health and Safety, a collaborative venture with twelve of the fourteen faculties of the University of Porto, which got started at FEUP in 2010. He has five patents, as inventor, in the field of foundry technologies.

Alongside his academic activity, António Magalhães Barbedo has had a very active role in supporting the Timorese cause: he was coordinator of the Timor Forum at the University of Porto, from 1989 to 1998, in which capacity he organized numerous conferences in Portugal, Germany, Australia, Brazil, the United States, Canada and other countries. It was through the University of Porto’s Timor Forum that he was able to take a large delegation of personalities from East Timor, Indonesia, Australia, Germany and other countries to the U.S. Congress, and cause the ‘Congressional Human Rights Caucus’ to have its first hearing on East Timor. He is the author of 7 books on Timor, the last of which was published by Afrontamento in 2007, with 3 volumes (of 1,000 pages) and over 10,000 pages in attached documents on the political history of East Timor from 1942 to 2007.

... there can be no Bologna without profound changes in pedagogy.

Xanana Gusmão, António B. Magalhães and Mário Soares at the Timorese leader’s first visit to Portugal following the referendum on self-determination in Timor.

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step forward. But there can be no Bologna without profound changes in pedagogy. Anyone who did not want pedagogical change is now distressed and frustrated because with Bologna they have had less time to «present subject material», not realizing that education is much more than «presenting material».

How did you begin your contact/proximity with East Timor?During the dictatorship, I took several public stands against the lack of democratic freedoms, against the tortures carried out by the PIDE (political police of the Salazar regime) and against the colonial war. Indeed, I was one of the 101 signatories of the «Testimony of Some Catholics» that newspapers finally published in November 1965 (when I was 22 years old), in which we said that the colonial war, was neither to be lost nor to be won and that it was necessary to democratize the country and prepare the people of the colonies for self-determination. Besides this, I had undertaken work in connection with the «Anti-colonial Bulletin» both in gathering information in Belgium on massacres committed by colonial troops and collaborating in its illegal distribution.

As a result of all that, when I went to the army in January 1974, my identification card indicated that I was politically suspect and, therefore, they started off by allocating me to the infantry captains course, despite the fact that I already held a PhD, had a slight physique and was a father of two. A colonel friend of Professor Vasco Sá thought it was nonsense to put me in the infantry and was able to get me reassigned to the Auto Maintenance Service. It was much better, though my PhD in Metallurgy should have led to another placement, in the Braço de Prata weapons factory, near Lisbon. As it was, I was mobilized to Timor in November 1974, a few months after the revolution of April 25.

What factors led you to becoming involved in the cause for Independence in Timor?Perhaps as I was the only PhD graduate in Timor, I was appointed by Governor Lemos Pires to a mixed commission of Portuguese and Timorese to prepare the decolonization of education in Timor. The project had the full participation of many Timorese teachers. To prevent decolonization going ahead, the secret services of some neighboring countries

took it upon themselves to provoke instability, civil war, invasion and occupation of the territory by Indonesian forces, supported diplomatically, politically and militarily by Australia, the United States and Britain. With East Timor transformed into a huge concentration camp, where journalists were not admitted for several years, it became imperative to give voice to a people who were the victim of numerous massacres and countless tortures. Thus began my involvement with the Timorese cause.

What did it mean for you to be honoured by the Portuguese State (Order of Infante D. Henrique) and by the Timorese State (Order of East Timor)?They were acts of great courtesy and recognition from the authorities of the Portuguese State and the Timorese State, and, as such, important. However, for me what counts most is the sense of mission accomplished and the deep friendships of solidarity that have been built up, both with the Timorese resistance and with Indonesian democrats, as well as with people of great moral value that fought for the liberation of the people of East Timor and for the dignity of the oppressed in numerous solidarity groups in many countries, from the PSAC (Portuguese speaking African Countries) to Canada and New Zealand.

What was the most memorable moment of your life?Fortunately, my life is filled with many memorable moments: those which are profoundly affectionate and emotional, like my first passions or the birth of my children, and some very deep friendships; those moments of fortitude, shared with others, when facing political and physical risks in the struggle for freedom and dignity of the oppressed; and those moments of beauty, the flavour of divine music. The most striking of all were those moments of mystical communication and communion, of participating in building the transcendent history of the nation where I was born and of a group of people with whom we are linked by the Portuguese discoveries. With the help of individuals and peoples around the world, from different faiths and cultures, my participation in building a World that is fairer, more peaceful and harmonious, more inclusive and more sustainable, even when that has meant, for some of my friends, the risk of imprisonment, torture and death, has made me experience very intense and memorable moments.

Professor Barbedo with Mrs Lurdes Bessa attending the ceremony to be honoured by the President of the Democratic republic of East Timor (May 2012)

Jorge Sampaio at the ceremony honouring Professor Barbedo as Grand Officer of the Order of Infante D. Henrique (10 June 2000)


“The greatest reward is finding former PhD students in different corners of the world”

Interview: Raquel PiresPhotos: Álvaro Martino

Beginning his career teaching in Angola, he came to Portugal after the 1974 Revolution and settled in Porto, working at the Faculty of Engineering, where he has conducted top-level scientific research ever since. He founded the Laboratory of Separation/Reaction Engineering (LSRE) and has supervised more than 60 doctoral theses. He has been a visiting professor at various universities around the world and has fond memories of the times he lived in the U.S., India and China. Emeritus Professor from FEUP, he returns to Brazil three times a year as a visiting professor. He says he still has it all to do, and wants to return to Angola, where the journey began. An in-person interview with Alírio Rodrigues about his life.

How were you drawn to the area of engineering, and chemical engineering in particular?During my time at high school there were two major areas: Arts (Portuguese, French, English and history) and Science (mathematics, physical chemistry, science, geography and design). In the 5th year (corresponding to the current 9th year) there were examinations in these nine subjects. I passed in Arts and failed in the oral in the Science section. If I had passed, I would have studied law. As I failed, I then began to enjoy Physical Chemistry. My first choice became Nuclear Engineering but as there was no such career in Portugal, I went into Chemical Engineering. And just as well. This shows how our lives can depend on very specific events.

You began your teaching career in 1969 at the University of Luanda. What do you recall of your time spent in Angola?My reason for going to Angola was to undertake paid internships in industry, while not being required to perform military service (a difficult thing for my generation). I spent several months in CUCA (brewery) and then in the Oil Refinery of what was then FINA. I gave some evening classes at the University of Luanda and was then invited to stay on as an Assistant thanks to the intervention of

... it’s hard for me to accept a university professor who is not active in scientific research.

Professor Guedes de Carvalho, who at the time was giving his support to the course in Chemical Engineering at the University of Luanda. Of that time before doing my PhD I have fond memories of a young, inexperienced staff who were engaged in the Veiga Simão (Educational) Reforms, and also the students, who were small in number and with whom it was possible to have a very close relationship. Later, during my PhD, the April revolution caught me in Angola and I was forced to decide how to do military service there. In July 1974, aged 30, I took the 1st cycle in Nova Lisboa (now Huambo) and the 2nd cycle, in Mines and Traps, in Luanda. When finally I drove to Grafanil barracks to be deployed to teach at the University, I was caught in crossfire between the forces of the MPLA and FNLA in front of the Cattete cemetery. I flipped over the car, and was spat at and led by a military vehicle that was passing on its way to the Military Hospital. I often say that was the one time I was really lucky! Several of my students at the University of Luanda have followed academic careers in Portugal at the Instituto Superior Técnico, at the University of Minho and at the University of Beira Interior.

You returned to Portugal in 1975, after the revolution. Before that, was it difficult to begin a career in Portugal?Salaries and working conditions were evidently not very attractive before the April revolution. But with the Reforms instigated by Education Minister Veiga Simão, the way began to open for assistants to do their PhD abroad, a process that began back in the years of the revolution and had a profound impact on the development of Research and Development in Portugal. For me it was time to get settled, after a short stint at the University of Évora, and to restart my career. We had one of the M´s - ‘Man’ (i.e. human resources - in the form of Carlos Costa, Rui Boaventura and José Miguel Loureiro) from the formula MMM + K, and though Money and Machines were still missing, I provided some Knowledge. It was, therefore, possible to create a line of research at the Centre for Chemical Engineering at INIC. It was line 5 - Separation and Reaction Processes in Porous Media, which would later lead to the LSRE.

If you had had to choose between a career in teaching or in research, which one would you have chosen? I always saw them as two linked activities. One learns to teach but it’s hard for me to accept a university professor who is not active in scientific research.

The history of the LSRE is closely linked to your own career path at FEUP. Was it always your dream to have a research group working together?Research requires the formation of groups in order to tackle fundamental scientific issues or to respond to business challenges. Some dreams are realized and others not. I am proud to have led the LSRE in partnership with the Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials (LCM) to obtain the status of Associate Laboratory and was sad not to get the necessary support to create an extension of the LSRE in a building belonging to the Universidade Católica in Asprela, where I thought of generating spin-offs located at the Laboratory. Many foreign students have spent time at the LSRE while here doing their PhDs or post-docs. And the greatest reward is finding former undergraduate and PhD students in different corners of the world.

Is it difficult to do research in Portugal? At first it was difficult but with sustained work the laboratory ended up becoming well known. There were hard times and now we are in a complicated cycle. In times of scarce funding, savings from previous projects can be used but now it is increasingly difficult because the proportion that FEUP leaves the researcher is getting smaller and smaller. The most vexing thing is to see the brain drain as our best minds leave for other countries because their prospects for scientific research here are so reduced.

You were a visiting professor in countries as far away as Brazil, China, India and the USA. What do you recollect about those times spent abroad?Each country left its mark on me. The memory I have of the work environment at the University of Virginia (USA) is of teachers being given information in short meetings (which I would say was a democratic experience that I had not known in Portugal) and the country itself was disposed to resolving problems rather than complicating them. My discovery of Brazil in 1978 and later in the 1990s led me to give Masters level classes at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) as a UNESCO Chair program. I taught many PhD students from Brazil but the one who advanced furthest in her academic career was Professor Diana Azevedo, from the Federal University of Ceará (UFC). Now I often have to go to UFC under the CsF program where I am able to teach in the Doctoral Program, which is something I cannot do in Portugal

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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTEAlirio Rodrigues graduated in Chemical Engineering from the University of Porto in 1968 and received his Ph.D. in 1973 from the University of Nancy (France), and the University of Luanda in 1974. He began his academic career in 1969 at the University of Luanda as assistant professor. He returned to Portugal in 1975. After a brief sojourn at the University of Évora, he made Tenure at the Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisbon), returning to the University of Porto in 1976. Highlights of his teaching career path include collaborations with other universities in the position of visiting professor, where he taught courses related to chemical engineering: Université de Technologie de Compiègne (France), University of Virginia (USA), Universidad de Oviedo (Spain), Université Paris XI (France), Federal University of Santa Catarina (Florianopolis, Brazil), Universidade Agostinho Neto (Angola) and more recently the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai (India). He recently received the title of Emeritus Professor from the University of Porto. He has to date published about 500 scientific papers, which have had more than 7,000 citations. He has been the supervisor of around 60 PhD theses and, moreover, is the author of six patents.

at FEUP. From China I’ll never forget the affection with which they received me. I think the Chinese give recognition to the teachers that have helped influence them. In 1990 I received the first post-doc from China and until today I have maintained a good cooperation with the East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai. India is a country that always leaves me with no definite opinion as it has many contrasts and though there are many fine aspects in the scientific field, there are also difficulties that it would be difficult for me to adapt to. As an example of a hard life, I tell students about a PhD research student in Mumbai who spends 3 hours or more a day getting to and from the workplace. But I also spent a year on sabbatical in Oviedo, another at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne, and a few months in Orsay, absorbing positive things from all these various cultures. I also have fond memories of Argentina (my doctoral fellow at Nancy, Hugo de Lasa, was from Bahia Blanca, where Professor Ruy Luis Gomes taught mathematics while on exile) and of Miguel Laborde, Cunningham, Barreto, Gigola, of CYTED projects, and of the NATO committee Science for Peace, etc.

We have talked about very different teaching systems. What struck you most in this contact with other students and other universities? I was fortunate (any luck resulting from a lot of hard work) to receive excellent PhD students, others who were good and some less good but I had the feeling that they were better when they left than when they began. Each one is different: there’s the one who is a good thinker and doesn’t enjoy the experimental part, while there’s another who is a good experimentalist, and others that combine the various facets. I have always sought to get the message across that the real test is publishing, and results that just stay in the drawer are of no interest. I have also encouraged them to leave their mark on the LSRE by constructing their own equipment, successfully in some cases. In the US, I enjoyed getting to the classroom and all the students already being there. Missing classes is unthinkable in the US because the fees are so high.

You have an equation with your name, the Rodrigues equation. It is an extension of the Van Deemter equation. How did you come by it? And what is it?In the 80s I had a student, Rosa Maria Quinta Ferreira, who did her PhD on the topic of large-pore catalysts where mass transfer is enhanced by convection in the pores. When in 1990 the idea of Perfusion Chromatography for protein separation emerged, I saw that I had all the means and support to explain what was happening (cross fertilization here of reaction engineering and separation engineering) and it was easy to make the extension of the Van Deemter equation. In reality the support came from time I spent at UTC explaining certain experimental results of diffusivity measures which resulted in a publication in AIChEJ in 1982.

With 500 scientific articles and more than 7,000 citations, 60 doctoral theses and six patents, have you still got anything to do?There’s always something to do, but I will go on working, health willing.

Of all the awards that you have had the opportunity of winning which was particularly special?I have enjoyed receiving all the prizes: some depend on the evaluation of judges, others on our CV. Others, shared with students, show recognition from entities and companies in other countries.

If you had not stayed in Portugal, where would you be teaching today? Why?In Portugal, I am happy at the LSRE but I’m sure the country will evolve and take every advantage of its Emeritus professors in doctoral programs. To bridge this gap, I will teach month-long periods at UFC, three times a year for three years. I will have contact with other universities and laboratories in Brazil. I would also like to go back to Angola where I began my academic career.


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Recent discoveries of significant oil and gas deposits within the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) have repositioned

the importance of these territories in global geo-political strategy. With the aim of creating cutting-edge technology to address the main

problems of exploration and production of these resources, the faculties of Science and Engineering at the University of Porto, in partnership

with Galp Energia and other national institutions, have recently established the Petroleum and Gas Institute. A public presentation was

held in Brazil in June 2013 and featured an entourage from FEUP.

University of Porto integrates Petroleum and Gas Institute

After prospecting for oil had begun in the pre-salt layer of the Tupi field in the Bacia de Santos, Lula da Silva, then still president, visited the Petrobras floating platform in October 2010 and proclaimed that “the twenty-first century is the century of Brazil”. The reaction was immediate. Back in 2007, he had claimed that the discovery of the Tupi mega-field “proved that God is Brazilian.” And there was good reason. The first field identified in what is known as the ‘pre-salt’ (see box) holds an estimated 5-8 billion barrels, representing a 50% increase in Brazilian reserves and enabling Brazil to aspire to a place among the largest oil exporters in the world.

These estimates are well founded. According to the study “BP Energy Outlook 2030,” Brazil will be one of the countries contributing most to the growth of oil production in the world by 2030. Graça Foster, president of the Brazilian state oil company Petrobras, goes further and sets the target of doubling Brazilian production by 2020. It is believed that in the next decade, Brazil could jump from its current position of13th to 4th place in global production.

Aware of market movements, the CEO of Galp Energia, Ferreira de Oliveira, revealed to the agency Lusa, during

Text: Carlos Oliveira Photos: R.R.

a visit to Luanda on 17 May, that “half the discoveries of oil and natural gas between 2005 and 2012 were made in Brazil, Mozambique and Angola” and that “this brings special responsibilities to the Portuguese-speaking world.” Galp Energia is well aware of this reality, having been a presence in Angola since 1982, where it is currently participating in five projects, in Brazil since 1999, involved in 20 projects in partnership with Petrobras, and in Mozambique since 2007 in the largest gas project in the world, in the Rovuma Basin.

Galp Energia’s involvement in all these projects has led Ferreira de Oliveira to admit, in an interview with Diário Económico, that oil exploration requires a paradigm shift and that Galp Energia wants to be at the forefront and develop “production and marketing of consumer products (petrol, diesel, bitumen, asphalt, fuel), for a company whose focus is on science and technology (...) without which it is not possible to find and produce petroleum at the frontiers of geography and geology.” It was this change of focus that justified the recent creation of the Petroleum and Gas Institute (ISPG), in partnership with six Portuguese universities, with an initial investment of around one hundred million euros.

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defence, and other coastal or offshore operations. The Hydraulics Laboratory at FEUP is also dedicated to marine environments and equipped with the largest university wave tank in the country, which is used for testing marine structures, wave energy extraction systems and mooring systems. It also has experience in dynamic monitoring and testing of offshore structures.

In mechanical engineering, there is expertise in various areas, such as multiphase flow, engineering and coating of surfaces and fatigue and fracture of materials. The Tribology Laboratory has extensive experience in condition monitoring and maintenance of steam or gas turbines and gearboxes. It develops new types of industrial lubricants with special additives for new gears, and lubricating greases with high performance polymeric thickeners. Petrochemical engineering is another area where there is strong expertise, for example in modelling and characterization of oil reserves; modelling, simulation and optimization of refinery processes;

DID YOU KNOW?

The Petroleum and Gas Institute (ISPG) is to develop research projects related to petroleum production and exploration by Galp in Brazil and will receive funding expected to reach 110 million euros by 2017 and which could exceed 775 million euros (one billion dollars) by 2025, assuming stable oil prices. This value complies with Brazilian law whereby 1% of the money from oil exploration is allocated to Research & Development.

Petroleum and Gas InstituteThe ISPG’s main objective is to bridge the gap between

academia and the petroleum industry so as to contribute to the training of technical staff and foster the creation of a network of cooperation between companies and research units. It is especially interested in enhancing the competitiveness of energy industries in Portuguese-speaking countries, through advanced training and technological innovation. Cooperation with universities will be organized within six distinct areas with relevance and impact in the oil and gas industry, namely prospecting, exploration and characterization of petroleum reservoirs; development, production and integrated management of oil fields; refining, petrochemicals and distribution of petroleum products; gas and electricity systems; biofuels and new energy; and management of sustainable energy systems, R&D and innovation. The ISPG includes the University of Aveiro, the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Coimbra, the Instituto Superior Técnico and the Faculty of Science at the University of Lisbon, the University of Minho, the New University of Lisbon, the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto.

Following the creation of the ISPG, Galp Energia, in conjunction with the key universities involved in the project, promoted the conference “Challenges of the Portuguese science and technology system in the Oil & Gas sector”, held on 6 June, in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The event was part of the commemorations of the Year of Portugal in Brazil and aimed to present the very latest and best in research, technological innovation and scientific knowledge within the oil and gas sector in Portugal. The presentation of the University of Porto’s skills in the oil and gas sector was led by the Dean of FEUP, Sebastião Feyo de Azevedo. The Faculty of Engineering was also present on a stand space at the exhibition, the highlight of which was a display of the autonomous vehicles developed by the Underwater Systems and Technology Laboratory (LSTS).

FEUP’s expertise in the fieldThe LSTS has been developing underwater, surface and

air vehicles for network and large-scale applications in fields such as oceanography, environment, security and

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gas separation; additive production and development of refinery energy models.

Moreover, FEUP has sought to establish industry-level partnerships in this field. Several companies operating in the oil and gas sector are located in the Innovation Centre at the University of Porto’s Science and Technology Park (UPTEC), next to FEUP, including CUF Industrial Chemicals and Sonae Indústria, both members of the Association Network of Competence in Polymers (ARCP), which has its headquarters there. A dozen start-up companies in incubation at the technology and sea centres state this to be an area of interest. An example is OceanScan, originating from the LSTS at FEUP, which sells autonomous underwater vehicles and has recently been considered one of the most promising Portuguese start-ups, by experts from the University Technology Enterprise Network (UTEN).

Find out more at: http://youtu.be/biJqQrhYRHc

FEUP and Galp Energia - a long-term collaboration FEUP has a longstanding partnership with Galp Energia,

the highlight of which has been working on the industrial maintenance and reliability of the Matosinhos refinery, thus enabling high availability and a consequential increase in efficiency. In the words of the refinery’s managing director, José Martinho Correia, FEUP “has been a key partner not only for its proximity but also for its availability and the ease with which it has wanted to work with us.”

As far as advanced training is concerned, the PhD Program in Refining, Petrochemical and Chemical Engineering (www.engiq.pt), which is the result of collaboration between the Association of Petrochemical, Chemical and Refining Industries (AIPQR) and the five best engineering universities in the country, is the only business-oriented doctoral program approved under the funding tender held by the FCT in 2013. According to the Dean of FEUP, Sebastião Feyo de Azevedo, this “enhances the quality of the program and expands collaboration with other universities and companies, particularly in Portuguese-speaking countries.”

FEUP also participates in the university cooperation program Galp 20-20-20, whose purpose is to support the annual production of 30 studies and research projects carried out by students in companies indicated by Galp Energia from among its customers, aimed at identifying rational energy systems and behaviour applicable to industry and buildings.

BRAZILIAN PRE-SALT

Pre-salt oil deposits occur in sedimentary basins resulting from the process that took place some 140 million years ago whereby the tectonic plates of a once single supercontinent separated to form Africa and South America. The Brazilian pre-salt deposits are located offshore, about 300 km from the coast and along 800km of coastline in the states of Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo. Reserves of hydrocarbons are contained in reservoir rocks, located about 6,000 metres under the seabed, under a salt layer whose thickness can reach up to 2,000 meters and a sea depth that can also be as much as 2,000 meters. Over the past 40 years, Brazil has been a driving force in technology for oil exploration and production in deep and ultra-deep water. Petrobras alone has invested 1.2 billion dollars per year in highly complex areas of R & D such as petrophysics, petroleum engineering and underwater robotics.

Deolinda Flores (FCUP) and Sebastião Feyo de Azevedo (FEUP) at the conference “Challenges of the Portuguese science and technology system in the Oil & Gas sector” held on 6 June 2013, in Brazil.


Water depth

Post-salt

Salt layer

Pre-salt

Sebastião Feyo de Azevedo, Dean of FEUP, Katy Turff, head of International Cooperation at the Engineering Council, and João de Varella, Portuguese Ambassador in the UK.

October 2013. Late afternoon in London. Meeting place: Pestana Chelsea Hotel. All set for the 1st FEUP alumni meeting, a long-planned initiative aimed at bringing together former students from the faculty. About 60 participated in this event, most of whom had never before met each other in London. Ivo Timóteo, 24, has lived in Cambridge since October 2012. His travels began when he was still in the 5th year of the integrated Master’s degree in Informatics and Computer Engineering at FEUP, after applying for the ERASMUS program at the University of Edinburgh. That was his first contact with a different reality. Later, he decided to pursue his studies and applied to Cambridge University, where he is currently conducting

Text: Raquel Pires Photos: R.R.

research into the area of “machine learning” at the Computer Laboratory at Cambridge University, as part of the Artificial Intelligence Group. “[Cambridge] is known for being the home of one of the best universities in the world and for being in the middle of a major technology hub they call Silicon Fen. A fifth of the population are students and more than 40% of people working in the city have a degree (...) What I appreciate most is the balance between culture, sport and study, surrounded by monumental buildings and many green spaces,” Ivo admits.

Despite only being in the land of “her majesty” for a year and a half, the former FEUP student has quickly integrated

London is currently the foreign city with the highest number of FEUP community members - about 250. Essentially, they are former students who left in search of a different professional experience from the situation facing them in Portugal. This concentration of alumni in the British capital was the reason that led FEUP to organise its first alumni meeting - a unique opportunity to network and share many life experiences.

FEUP promotes 1st alumni meeting in London

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The alumni are by far and away the best ambassadors for our faculty in the world. They are the ones who carry the FEUP label across borders.Ivo Timóteo

into the community and has even been nominated president of the Portuguese Association of Researchers and Students in the UK (Parsuk) - www.parsuk.pt - an association that brings together all the students and researchers based in the UK. With a busy daily schedule, Ivo Timóteo was one of the first to be excited about having an alumni dinner in the British capital because he believes that “FEUP and a FEUP education should be seen as a quality label and its main ambassadors are the alumni, who, having this responsibility, like to feel appreciated by the institution. With the number of great engineers graduating every year, a united and effective alumni network would provide very strong representation for FEUP.”

Someone else who also lives in Cambridge is Mariana Garcia Domingos, 27. She has now lived there for four years, after spending some time at the University of Delft, in the Netherlands, under the ERASMUS program, where she had the opportunity to develop her end-of-course thesis. Following an academic career path in chemical engineering, Mariana decided to invest in further education and enrolled at the University of Cambridge. Having now completed her PhD completed, she is currently looking for a job: “I’m giving priority to opportunities near Cambridge. It’s a city that manages to offer both the benefits of a small town, like being able to get around everywhere by bike, and an excellent range of cultural activities, boosted greatly by the University,” she says.

Regarding the English education system, Mariana Domingos has a very reasoned opinion on the matter: “Although the education systems are very different (Cambridge / FEUP), the performance of students from Portuguese universities in their PhDs, postdocs and in companies is on a level with English universities. This is certainly clear, as far as research is concerned, from the frequency with which Portuguese students are awarded international awards and scholarships. In business terms, I know of companies who after recruiting a student from FEUP (and seeing their potential) have then recruited two or three more.”

Of the 60 alumni who attended the dinner, Mariana Domingos knew seven of them. “This initiative has made me very enthusiastic about participating in future activities to bring together FEUP alumni, and I think that it was an important step forward in the right direction. This type of meeting allows for interesting sharing of experiences, opinions, career paths and knowledge, at the same time providing an important platform for communication between people working in different areas, from an engineering background. I believe we leave these kind of meetings feeling very enriched, full of new prospects and up-to-date insights into the type of challenges that other engineers face,” she acknowledges.

After graduating in Chemical Engineering and having collaborated on a research project in this area at FEUP, Tânia Campos Duarte decided it was time to begin a new challenge, preferably in a business environment that would allow her to develop leadership and management skills. That was how she became environmental manager in one of the largest Portuguese construction companies, having been responsible for implementing environmental management systems in the company’s different work units, for operational environmental management, and management of the environment department (including supervision of environmental technicians at national level). “Additionally, I was a member of the company’s sustainability board, where I coordinated a task force responsible for implementing strategic guidelines in terms of environmental and corporate sustainability,” she adds. At the same time, she invested in a postgraduate degree in Management of Organizations and Sustainable Development and later an MBA in Finance. It was during her MBA that Tanya decided it was time to “relocate professionally,” whereby this life choice took her to London. She has been living in London now for a year and a half, having decided that after spending the previous year permanently travelling it was time to settle down. At 32, Tânia Campos Duarte is exclusively devoted to a project in the area of Sustainable Finance at the London School of Economics (LSE). Her day is filled with activities concerning the planning, coordination


AMBASSADORS FOR FEUP

In order to strengthen the link between recent graduates and alumni, in September 2013 FEUP launched the Alumni Portal - www.fe.up.pt/alumni. This is a platform that aims to be an open channel between the faculty and the alumni community, providing support services for vocational integration and career management as well as several means of contributing actively in the community and interacting with other alumni. One of these contributions is the role of ambassador for FEUP.

Simão Belchior de Castro applied for the post of alumni ambassador when he saw it advertised on the site. HIs contribution was decisive in organizing the dinner sponsored by FEUP in the city of London. After twice experiencing the ERASMUS program abroad, first in Denmark and then in Holland, Simão made a more permanent move to the UK in 2004 in search of an opportunity in the field of Informatics and Computing. He declined the invitation to stay at TAM TAM (leading Dutch company in the telecommunications market) and went to Cambridge to join Mariana Garcia Domingos, who was already there. It only took one month for the opportunity to arise: working for a British non-governmental organization, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, which actively collaborates with the United Nations Program for the Environment (UNEP). “We work with many international partners (including conventions and governments) in order to collect, manage and analyse data relating to nature conservation and biodiversity. This enables various international aid organizations to make decisions regarding various areas of conservation,” Simão explains.

Simão began his career in the company as a web developer. Two years later he was promoted to analyst developer: “I’m responsible for managing some of our projects, contacting our colleagues in other departments and some of our international customers, and I’m still continuing to do some web development.” Aged 29, Simão believes that meetings like the one that took place in London “have great potential: I believe that a higher education institution that wants to be at the front line has to keep in touch with industry, to better develop and better prepare its students to integrate in that market. And I think one of the best ways to maintain that contact is through alumni because, as in my case, there is an affinity for the institution, in this case FEUP, and even an extra motivation to contribute towards its success,” he confirms. Furthermore, “these meetings are also beneficial for those who participate in them, as they can be a way of finding out a little more about what other colleagues and friends of ours are doing professionally. It could lead to potential collaborations, or simply to identifying opportunities to change jobs,” he concludes.

and organization of the project, which range from developing business plans, attending multidisciplinary meetings and processing and analysing data, through to communicating relevant information to the project via its social platforms. This former FEUP student believes that one of her greatest assets in the current world situation is the fact that she has followed a distinctly multidisciplinary career path: “I don’t see the engineering world as something separated from the business world. They are just two aspects that complement each other. I believe that the skills of an engineer are always welcome in the business world, and that engineers always benefit from an understanding of the business environment they operate within,” she says. Though Tânia has only been in London for a fairly short time, she has already participated enthusiastically in the 1st alumni meeting. She admits she is still getting used to life in the capital and the “organised chaos” that is London. And she says she is surprised by “the importance that many organizations here give to work/life balance, so that you have the opportunity to work from home several days a week if you wish. As long as people meet their objectives, there is a high level of confidence in employees,” she concludes.

ENGINEERS WITH MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAREER PATHSThe true essence of these gatherings of former students

is that they are a time for socializing, networking and reuniting generations. They provide an excellent platform for making contacts and sharing information. This event, which took place in London on the 24th of October, is part of a plan to set up local chapters in a FEUP alumni network - FEUPLink, from which it is hoped to promote other initiatives (workshops, master classes, technical visits, vocational integration and career management support, relationships with universities as well as volunteering activities and socialization programs, among others). This meeting was the first step towards a closer relationship between the FEUP label and its former students based in the UK. It joined together 60 “ambassadors”, but the truth is that not everyone knew each other. Indeed, the vast majority had never even met.

Mariana Domingos and Simão Belchior in the city of Cambridge

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Paulo Alves is 39 years old. He came to the UK 17 years ago. He did not know any of the former students who were at the dinner. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from FEUP in 1997, following an experience at the University of Leeds, under the ERASMUS program, which earned him an “Engineering Masters”. It was the way-in that he had always wanted, “influenced by television programmes” which were broadcast at the time in Portugal, such as the “Dempsey and Makepeace” detective series, which Paulo still recalls. “I had an idyllic idea of what it would be like to live in England and of the Rover cars that were used in that series. The other reason was to force myself to learn the language,” he admits. Passionate about the automotive industry, Paulo ran for a job at the factory in Swindon, which at the time included the Rover, Land Rover, MG and Mini makes of car. The group was in the hands of BMW.

A few years later when the group was sold, Paulo Alves remained at BMW. He has been working now for 10 years in engineering and has been involved in several projects (Rover 25, Rover 45, Range Rover and the new MINI). However, he is now connected to the area of sales and marketing and leads the BMW group’s Office of Communications and Marketing. His time is always spent in many different ways so that one day he may be involved in meeting creative agencies and planning media and marketing actions, while the next he will be discussing the strategy for launching new vehicles in and outside the UK. He often meets with teams from Munich and has regular contact with professionals linked to newspapers, magazines and advertising agencies. Everything (or almost everything) to do with BMW’s image in the UK passes through the scrutiny of Paulo Alves. He is about to leave for Ireland where he will assume the position of Director General of the BMW Group and start a new phase of his life. He says he is in “no hurry to return to Portugal,” although he confesses to missing the Portuguese blue sky and tries to appease this by making five trips a year to our country.

The multidisciplinary nature that engineering often takes means that our students’ career paths often intersect with other areas of knowledge. This is what happened with José Farinha, 36, who graduated in engineering from FEUP. After finishing his degree in 2001, he participated

in the CONTACT program, which took him to Peru for an internship in a company from the Mota-Engil group. After this experience, he returned to Porto where he had the opportunity to join the team from Metro do Porto SA, in their project of constructing underground stations. In 2007 he headed to the UK to work at Associated London Bridge, a company specializing in underground work projects, where he stayed for three years. He decided to get involved in photography and make a living from the passion he had for the art of photography. His professional life thus underwent a turnaround. Now José is a freelancer and is connected to a photography agency in London, Camera Press, which enables him to make contributions to some media in Portugal, including Público, Visão and Global Imagens. Having now lived in London for six years, the former FEUP student appreciates “the cultural and ethnic diversity, millions of people moving about in organized chaos, free museums, an almost excessive number of concerts and shows, markets selling everything and anything, the comfort of the pubs around every corner, and the sound of the thousand-and-one languages that populate this city.” These are reasons for José Farinha to postpone his return to Portugal for now.

Patrícia Barata Rodrigues attended the dinner organized by FEUP in the capacity of guest speaker. After graduating in Chemical Engineering from FEUP, she left for Cambridge where she completed her PhD. She was recruited for Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley in 2003 and moved to London, where she has now stayed for over 10 years. Aged 38 and with a notable career in the financial sector, Patrícia has had to invest considerable time and effort in learning how to operate in the business world, and believes that she has been amply rewarded for it. Following her time at Morgan Stanley, in 2005 she began working for the Macquarie Group, an Australian bank and world leader in infrastructure investment. She became director of the group in 2009, when the Board of Directors integrated several infrastructure companies into the Group’s portfolio. In 2011, the British government (Department for Business, Innovation & Skills) invited her to join the initial team of six senior financial professionals in a project to develop and implement a new bank for investment and financing of infrastructure projects in renewable energy in the UK, a project that was very successful.

It was good to feel that FEUP has not forgotten its alumni, many of whom are very keen to maintain this link.Mariana Domingos

The 1st FEUP alumni dinner took place at the Pestana Chelsea Hotel, near London.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2013

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ENGENHARIA 51 FACULDADE DE ENGENHARIA DA UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO

Francisco Xavier Malcata, professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at FEUP, is the first Portuguese researcher to join the list of those honoured by the

American Dairy Science Association (ADSA), the largest such professional association in the world, headquartered in the USA. He was once again recognized for the consistent service he has given to the dairy industry at both national and international level, stemming from his academic work and contributions to public administration. A few months later he was elected a Fellow of the ADSA.

The challenge: to turn the city of Porto into a benchmark in the development of future cities. The venture is the University of Porto’s Future Cities

project, which through 1.6 million Euros of European funding will drive forward technologies to improve urban the mobility, safety and quality of life of citizens. Many of these issues were on the table during the international conference “Shake UP Your City”, held at FEUP and which marked the official opening of the new competency centre.

The “Remote Debugging Service” project created by Rui Maranhão, Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering and André Riboira, PhD student, both from

the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), was Porto’s big winner of the Universities Award in the 2nd edition of “The Next Big Idea”, at the 15th Entrepreneur Fair. The project consists of a software application designed to reduce costs due to errors in software development through a process of remote debugging of code that identifies and locates errors while the program is being executed. According to the authors, the application works like “hospital” software, performing diagnostic tests and reducing the time spent on this type of task by about 75%.

The 1st Prize Poster Award 2012 at the 5th edition of the international conference “Water Contamination Emergencies: managing the threats”, held in Mülheim-

-an-der-Ruhr, Germany, was won by a research team for their development of methods for decontamination of water networks in the event of accidental or even deliberate contamination. One member of the team is Luis Miguel Madeira, researcher at LEPAE. The work was developed in partnership with the University of Nancy (France), and showed the potential of the technology studied at FEUP in the field of water decontamination applied to biofilm disinfection.

The FEUP course “The Next Generation Engineer - Global Engineering” received the “Best Practices in International Higher Education Award” from the

Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA), in the Global Partnerships category. This course was taught simultaneously to students in the 5th year of the Masters in Mechanical Engineering (MIEM) at FEUP and the University of Maryland (UMBC), Baltimore, USA. The classes were given through videoconferencing by teachers Marc Zupan (UMBC and visiting professor at FEUP), Anne Spence (UMBC), António Barbedo Magalhães, Abel Santos and José Bessa Pacheco, from FEUP.

13th January was the official date of the FEUP Day celebrations and, as in previous years, they served to reinforce the spirit of the academic community,

which includes not only students, teachers and technical staff, but also alumni, retirees and the various businesses with closest links to the Faculty of Engineering. The programme was marked by a prize-giving ceremony including awards for Performance, Recognition and Excellence as well as the inauguration the Dean’s Gallery in the Council Room, highlighting the leading professors in the history of FEUP.


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In the month that he turned 70, António Barbedo de Magalhães, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering since 1968, gave his last

lecture at FEUP. Throughout his academic and professional career he has led initiatives in defence of the rights of the Timorese people, and was honoured by the Portuguese State (Order of Infante D. Henrique) and the Timorese State (Order of Timor-Leste). Among those attending António Barbedo de Magalhães’s retirement ceremony were former President of Portugal, Ramalho Eanes, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Jose Luis Guterres and former Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and Secretary General of the Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor (FRETILIN), Mari Alkatiri.

1,400 students from 70 secondary schools from north to south of the country had the opportunity to visit FEUP, get an up close experience of projects and laboratories and have closer contact with the academic world of engineering. For three days, attention was focused on the profession of “Engineer” and its important role in protecting the planet and

improving the society of the future. There were 70 transversal activities aimed at raising awareness of the multidisciplinary side of engineering.

The University of Porto and the multinational IBM signed a protocol aimed at developing advanced solutions for promoting the Future Cities project in

Porto, a competency centre set up at FEUP. This agreement looks to enhance research excellence that will improve the quality of life in Porto, affirming that the city will be a European “Smart City” by 2015. The agreement arises out of cooperation between Porto, IBM and Porto City Council with the main objective of providing the city with the elements necessary to enable the “Smart city” concept to be developed and deployed.

Sebastião Feyo de Azevedo, Professor of Chemical Engineering at FEUP and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, received the “EFCE Dieter Behrens Medal”,

in The Hague, Netherlands. He is only the fifth person, and the first Portuguese, to be awarded the highest award from the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) assigned every four years in recognition of a significant contribution towards enhancing the profile of chemical engineering in Europe. This distinction acknowledges the 11 years Sebastião Feyo de Azevedo has spent undertaking executive functions, and also his work as a National Delegate in the Bologna Follow-up Group (2004 - 2010), as Coordinator of the National Bologna Experts Group (2007 - 2008) and as Chairman of the EFCE Working Group in Chemical Engineering, which developed EFEC recommendations to adapt Chemical Engineering courses to the three Bologna cycles.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the largest professional association of engineers in the USA, honoured Vladimiro Miranda, FEUP

professor and director of INESC TEC, with the award for excellence in renewable energy for his contribution in the integration of renewables in the electrical system over the last 20 years. This award recognises how his work has contributed towards the large-scale integration of renewable energy sources, particularly wind power, in traditional electricity systems using computational intelligence techniques. Vladimiro Miranda began his career in Portugal, before moving to Macau, and is now focused on INESC P&D Brazil, which started in July 2012, enabling the transfer of Portuguese technology.


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The High Voltage Laboratory (LAT - Laboratório de Alta Tensão), installed at FEUP, is the largest industrial scale university laboratory in Portugal, and was officially

opened with the support of several industrial companies. The LAT consists of a 144m² test room with a clear height of 11m fitted with complete electrical shielding (Faraday cage), a control room and an observation room each about 30m², available for teaching and research as well as to serve industry.

An article co-authored by Rui Maranhão, professor at FEUP, Paulo Casanova, David Garlan and Bradley Schmerl (researchers at Carnegie Mellon University

- CMU) was honoured with the “Best Paper Award”. Titled “Diagnosing Architectural Run-time Failures”, the article is part of a project undertaken in conjunction with researchers at FEUP and CMU, and funded by the National Science Foundation, which is developing techniques to provide self-aware software systems with an indication of their state of “health”. The presentation was made during the 8th International Symposium on Software Engineering for Adaptive and Self-Managing Systems, held in San Francisco (USA).

Arrábida Bridge turned 50 in 2013, the centennial year of the birth in Porto of its creator, engineer Edgar Cardoso, who was trained at FEUP. To mark this date,

FEUP organized the “Arrábida 50 - International Bridges and Heritage Symposium”, where Arrábida Bridge and other bridges from Portugal and around the world were discussed from a technical, artistic and scenic standpoint, as well as in terms of their history and heritage. The event welcomed the participation of national and international experts including Eduardo Souto Moura (Faculty of Architecture, University of Porto), Cecil Balmond (Balmond Studio, UK), Jirí Strasky (Technical University of Brno, Czech Republic), Miguel Aguiló (Polytechnic University of Madrid), António Adão Fonseca (FEUP), Raimundo Delgado (FEUP), Júlio Appleton and António Reis (IST), Aníbal Costa (University of Aveiro) and Paulo Cruz (University of Minho).

Through the Faculty of Engineering (FEUP) and the Faculty of Fine Arts (FBAUP), the University of Porto was recently admitted into iSchools, an organization

that brings together world leaders in teaching and research in the area of information. The University of Porto now joins the small group of about fifty members, of which only one other, the New University of Lisbon, is Portuguese. Training in Information Science is taught at FEUP in partnership with the Faculty of Letters, whose complementary features in this area allowed the construction of a solid and up to date study plan, which combines traditional knowledge with theory and practice in the fields of information and communication technology.

What functions should the State ensure in today’s society; what role can private organizations play; how should the social functions of the state and its long-

term sustainability be financed, given the current demographic situation within the context of the Single Currency? - These were some of the issues that were under discussion in another edition of “New Paradigms”, an event attended by economists Jorge Bateira and Daniel Bessa. The “New Paradigms cycle of debates at FEUP” is an active-learning initiative in which students play the central role, so as to improve and deepen self-learning and develop skills and competencies.

“Engineering in a Minute” (“Engenharia num Minuto”) is a science outreach program of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP) and was one

of fifteen finalists in the “New Media Productions” category at the European Science TV and New Media Festival 2013. The Festival is organized by EuroPAWS and Euroscience, with the aim of highlighting the potential for science and technology in the production of television and news media in Europe. The main objective of the “Engenharia num Minuto” project, which ran from October 2011 to November 2012, was to disseminate scientific knowledge to the wider, non-specialist public, demystifying the complexity of science and technology and simplifying the concept engineering.


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FEUP’s latest venture follows years of research during which time the faculty has played a significant role in the area of product development and more recently

the promotion of services to national and international companies. The Competence Centre for Innovation in of Products and Services (CIPS) thus aims to bring together multidisciplinary teams linked to FEUP and the University of Porto as a whole, in conjunction with industry, to develop new products and services that can boost the economy.

A team of students and researchers from FEUP and the Robotics and Intelligent Systems unit (ROBIS) from INESC TEC won two titles at the World Robotic

Sailboat Championship held in Brest, France. The Portuguese team’s participation consisted of two autonomous sailboats, which eventually clinched victory in the “Student’s sailboat” category, receiving the “École Navale Endurance Special Award”. Besides their well-known prizewinning sailboat FASt, the FEUP/INESC TEC team added a new smaller-sized sailboat to its fleet, in a competition which was attended by eight teams from various European countries (Germany, UK, Finland, Spain, France and Portugal).

On a two-day visit to Portugal, the President of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) visited FEUP to find out about the reality of the Portuguese situation and thus seek ways of collaboration between IEEE and FEUP in the near future. The IEEE is the leading and largest professional association in the

world, with 440,000 affiliates in the areas of electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science.

The theatrical performance “Gods Like Us” took to the stage, with the participation of many members of the FEUP community. Hosted by the FEUP Cultural

Commission and staged by Ricardo Alves (director of the Palmilha Dentada theatre company), the play was co-funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and was the work of a group of staff and students from the faculty who once again expressed interest in participating in a theatrical event, similar to others that have taken place in recent years.

Alírio Rodrigues, Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at FEUP, gave his last lecture in a career linked to teaching and scientific research.

He founded FEUP’s Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering (LSRE), whose “excellent” rated research work has been recognised nationally and internationally. Receiving the “Stimulus to Excellence” award in 2004 from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, and the FEUP Prize for Scientific Excellence in 2009, Alírio Rodrigues was also involved in internationally awarded research projects.

Michael Donauer, student in FEUP’s PhD Leaders for Technical Industries programme, within the MIT Portugal programme, was awarded the Best Paper Award at the Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing (FAIM) International Conference, held in Porto. It is the foremost international forum for the dissemination and sharing of information in the

field of automation and industrial production, and this year’s edition devoted special attention to competitive manufacturing systems. The research project presented by Michael Donauer involved the creation of a tool enabling identification of causes of non-compliance in environments similar to industrial mass production, where there are usually large amounts of loosely organized information, which could potentially hinder the production process.

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40 ANNUAL REPORT 2013

So as to pay tribute to students who have completed their Masters, every year FEUP organizes the New Masters ceremony. The 2013 edition was attended by

former student José Fonseca as guest speaker, who shared his professional life story and the steps he took in creating Blip, the Porto-based information technology company which he founded.

The “Blautouch” project was in the spotlight after being presented with the Cleanroom 2013 award by the Reinraum Akademie GmbH. The award ceremony took place at Cleanzone, an internationally important event in the area of controlled environments, held

in the city of Frankfurt, Germany. Developed by Laborial in partnership with FEUP and the Edigma company, “Blautouch” consists of an interactive work surface composed of materials resistant to reagents and the most aggressive disinfectants, created in accordance with the latest hygienic design guidelines.

António Castro won second prize in the “PhD” category in the 2013 edition of the Fraunhofer Portugal Challenge, an annual ideas contest. The FEUP

researcher developed a new approach to managing disruptions in Airline Operational Control Centres based on the paradigm of multi-agent systems, demonstrating that it is possible to obtain comprehensive and balanced solutions with remarkable cost savings of between 13% and 58%.

Former FEUP student Pedro Pacheco became one of the latest contributors working for acclaimed music service Spotify. Joining the Content team, his responsibilities

include collecting music available to users, receiving data sent by record companies and processing it to ensure consistency and quality. He then has to distribute the musical data to data centres so it can be accessed by users.

André Freitas, a 4th year student of FEUP’s Masters in Informatics and Computing Engineering, is the latest “Google ambassador.” His job is to serve as a liaison

between Google and the Faculty. As such his responsibilities include promoting adoption of its applications, publicizing employment opportunities, stimulating technical workshops and helping Google to better understand FEUP culture.

The Business International Network (BIN@) is an international network created in 2010 through the University of Porto, which aims to promote the sharing of knowledge and good professional practice among industries, universities, technology parks, incubators and investors. The 2013 edition took place in Brazil in Ribeirão-Preto – São Paulo, with support

from the University of Porto and the University of Sheffield. This is a forum for interdisciplinary discussion integrating various technological sectors in order to create opportunities for collaboration and cooperation.


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19th and 20th November were the days selected for another edition of the FEUP job fair. The newly named “Career Fair” was aimed at all students and alumni, who over two days had the opportunity to participate in various initiatives geared towards the job market.

The event seeks to integrate a wider range of national and international companies and thereby promote jobs/internships, and this edition involved the participation of 47 businesses, some of them operating in the international market.

The Portuguese researcher Fernando Lopes da Silva, who is an established name in the field of neuroscience, was at FEUP to give a lecture on “Dynamics of Epileptic

Phenomena”, within the PhD Course in Biomedical Engineering. The lecture focused on the subject of epilepsy, illustrating how this is a dynamic disease with multiple operational states that can switch between each other driven by various factors. Considered one of today’s most eminent neuroscientists, Fernando Lopes da Silva has followed a brilliant career as a scientist, teacher and leader of various teaching and research organisations, especially in Holland, the country where he has lived for decades.

Eduardo de Oliveira Fernandes, Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at FEUP, gave his last lecture on the theme of “The Energy of Being”. In a

career involving teaching, research and government responsibility, Oliveira Fernandes was the founder of the Fluids and Heat Division (GFC) and the Coordination Group of Applied Thermal Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Beyond his academic career, he held governmental posts oriented to public policies concerning the environment and energy. He was Secretary of State for the Environment in 1984, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy in 2001 and led several consulting projects in successive governments within the context of energy policy.

Nuno Abrunhosa Carneiro, a 4th year student in FEUP’s Integrated Masters in Industrial Engineering and Management, is the new president of ESTIEM -

European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management. Founded in 1990, ESTIEM aims to serve as a networking platform for students of Industrial Engineering and Management across Europe, promoting their professional and personal development. Currently the organization has a presence in 74 universities spread over 28 countries, bringing together nearly 60,000 students.

Juliano Murari, a mobility student who was at FLUP in 2013 in the Integrated Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering, won an award for his project

on iris biometrics at Livdet-Iris 2013 (Liveness Detection-Iris), an event that took place in Madrid in October. This is an international competition, supported not only by higher education institutions around the world (e.g. U.S.A, Poland), but also by leading laboratories in the field of biometrics.

“FEUP Classical Orchestra” is the latest project organized by the Faculty of Engineering’s Cultural Commission and on December 19th it performed its

debut concert in the Auditorium, conducted by José Eduardo Gomes. The first such project at any Portuguese institution of higher education, the orchestra now numbers some 50 musicians, all of them members of the FEUP community, including teachers, students and technical staff.


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* International students represent 7,4% of the students enrolled

NTU BY SUBJECT

Civil Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

PORTUGAL

1

1

1

EUROPE

14

13

28

WORLD

54

64

92

EDUCATION

QUALITY

FEUP IN FIGURES2013

Mobility students*

INCOMING

241Mobility students

OUTGOING

319

STUDY PROGRAMMES STUDENTS

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

RANK

QS - Eng.

THE-WUR

ARWU - Eng.

NTU - Eng.

CWTS Leiden - Eng. *

SIR SCImago

URAP

* Ranking using the indicator P - number of publications

PORTUGAL

1

1-2

1-3

2

2

1

1

EUROPE

56

157-181

32-56

50

37

65 (W EU)

94

WORLD

152

351-400

151-200

170

140

205

219

QS-WUR BY SUBJECT

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

PORTUGAL

1

1

EUROPE

45

51

WORLD

101/150

101/150

INTERNATIONAL RANKINGS

Degree students*

288

Undergraduate and Integrated Master programmes

Master programmes

PhD programmes

Total

ADMITTED

1453

221

158

1832

ENROLLED

5996

441

737

7174

GRADUATING

860

163

116

1139

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

1ST C

YCLE

2ND C

YCLE

3RD C

YCLE

NON-DEGREE PROGRAMMES

3

4

912

22

Undergraduate Programmes

on graduation

36.83%up to 2 months

60.32%up to 6 months

78.10%Studied sample: 825 master graduates in engineering in 2012/2013Response Rate: 76.36%

Integrated Masters

Master Programmes

PhD Programmes

Specialisations and Advanced Studies

EMPLOYMENT RATE

RESOURCES

330Technical and administrative staff (FTE)

89.2%Holding a PhD

438,9Teaching and research staff

(FTE*)

24,770 State Budget (48%)

27,400 Own income (52%)

52,170 Total income (thousand €)

HUMAN RESOURCES

FINANCES

*Full-time equivalent

12,682 R&D projects

9,537 Tuition fees

3,966 Sales and services

1,212 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 2174%

Scientific publications indexed to the ISI Web of ScienceIt represents 19% of the publications of University of Porto (3467 articles), which corresponds to more than 23% of the Portuguese publications (provisional figures)

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS 656

36.3 %

63.7 %

Cooperation agreements with companies

Cooperation agreements with international universities

Framework Programme 7 (2007-2013)Nr. projects funded/Budget

COOPERATION 170309

48/19M€

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER14/7610/93

3919

Patent applications filed/cumulative total

Invention disclosures/cumulative total

Tech transfer deals - cumulative total

R&D AND INNOVATION

The University of Sheffield is organizing the 5th international BIN@TM event that will be held at the city of Sheffield, in the United Kingdom. The programme will include open session with keynote speakers, thematic Action Tanks, short Innovation courses, start-up’s presentations and much more.

BIN@TM is an international network of academic and industry partners engaged and supporting the creation of a sustainable forum for sharing good practice and opportunities in Innovation. We connect partners from across disciplines and industrial sectors and create opportunities for collaboration. We develop partnerships that deliver value and impact.

www.businessandinnovation.net

Partners:

10, 11 & 12 November 2014Sheffield, United Kingdom

www.binsheffield2014.com

Organised by:

BIN@BUSINESS & INNOVATION NETWORK

SHEFFIELD™

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Documents

Highlights magazine 2013