PhD Students

PhD Student

Adriano Silva

Project Title
Optimization of municipal solid waste management systems towards sustainability.

Abstract
The project aims the development of (i) data acquisition strategies for waste management systems, using the northeast of Portugal as a model region, and (ii) innovative technological solutions to valorise solid waste streams into carbon nanostructured materials (CNMs), with applicability in the treatment of leachate waters. Learning algorithms will be applied to characterize the waste, and optimization algorithms will be used to optimize waste transportation considering the consumer’s behaviour. Regarding waste valorization, CNMs will be prepared from plastic solid wastes by chemical vapor deposition. These as-synthesized CNMs will be employed as precursors to produce catalysts and membranes for advanced oxidation and separation technologies to treat landfill leachates. The project will be conducted in collaboration with a waste management company (Resíduos do Nordeste) dealing with the municipal solid waste generated in the northeast region of Portugal.

Science Area
Sustainable Cities
Data Science

Host Institution(s)
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB)
Centro de Investigação em Digitalização e Robótica Inteligente (CeDRI), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB)
Laboratório de Processos de Separação e Reacção – Laboratório de Catálise e Materiais (LSRE-LCM), Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP)

Supervisor(s)
Hélder Teixeira Gomes
Ana Isabel Pinheiro Nunes Pereira
Adrián Manuel Tavares da Silva

Profile
Chemical Engineer, Brazilian, and enjoying all the opportunities to make the world a better place. My interest is to continuously learn and evolve as a person and researcher, using the feedback and help of other people as an instrument. I believe collaboration is the key to success. For this reason, I love to share my work and hear from other people what they are working on. My scientific interests are focused on developing a good thesis work, aligning scientific quality with social benefits achieved via what I’ve done. I have already worked with the synthesis of nano and macro-structured materials for biomedical and heterogeneous catalysis applications in my academic life. Currently, I am focused on optimizing municipal solid waste management systems (i.e., optimization of collection routes and synthesis of carbon nanotubes using plastic solid wastes for posterior application in wastewater treatment technologies).

Email:adriano.santossilva@ipb.pt

PhD Student

Ana Filipa Duarte

Project Title

Quantitative modelling of the ocean with acoustic waves

Abstract

Seismic oceanography has proven its value to imaging the ocean in high-resolution using conventional multichannel reflection seismic data (MCS). The recorded acoustic responses depend on contrasts in ocean temperature and salinity. The processed data enable tracking interfaces between thermohaline layers and the study of fine-scale processes spatially. However, their interpretation has been focused on qualitative methods, and integration with dynamic ocean models is still unexplored. In this PhD, I will develop and implement methods to predict spatially ocean temperature and salinity through the integration of MCS data with direct observations (e.g., CTD, ARGO) in a spatial data science framework. These methods will be applied to existing data from Gulf
of Cadiz. As a complementary and exploratory approach, and since MCS data acquisition is complex and expensive, I will look at using high-resolution echosounders mounted in autonomous underwater vehicles to model in real-time the ocean.

Scientific Area

Earth Systems: Oceans to Near Space

Climate Science and Climate Change

Host Institution

CERENA, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon

Supervisor(s)

Leonardo Raposo Pereira

Renato Santos Mendes

Profile

Ana Filipa Duarte is currently a PhD candidate of Earth Resources at Instituto Superior Técnico specializing on Seismic Oceanography. Also holds a bachelor’s degree in Geological and Mining Engineering and a master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico. During the master’s, she had major interests in Geophysics and Geostatistics. In the last year of the degree, she enrolled in an internship at Heriot-Watt University, in the Lyell Research Centre, Edinburgh, where she developed the master’s thesis in seismic reflection interpretation. That project had the purpose of interpreting the morphology and extent of an igneous intrusion from Early Cretaceous and its influence in the Falkland Plateau Basin. In 2020 she joined a project to analyze and bring knowledge about COVID-19 disease, in Instituto Superior Técnico, where she collaborated with the mapping of the infection risk for Portugal, and implemented a an early warning system for anomalous values of COVID-19 incidence in the Metropolitan area of Lisbon, allowing policy makers to better act on contingency plans. Between 2021 and 2023, she was researcher collaborator at +ATLANTIC (Collaborative Laboratory), where she established modelling and analysis of the ocean having Seismic Oceanography as a tool to increase the resolution of temperature and salinity models of the water column in the North Atlantic Ocean, integrating real data from multiple sources.

Email::filipadamasoduarte@tecnico.ulisboa.pt

PhD

Carla Colombo

Project Title

A two-stepped approach for the fast seismic analysis of masonry buildings

Abstract

The proposed research program is a part of the ERC research project STAND4HERITAGE and aims to assess the seismic behaviour of masonry structures. More specifically, the STAND4HERITAGE project faces the ambitious challenge of introducing new standards for safeguarding built cultural heritage for the next generations and developing approaches able to predict the seismic response of masonry systems. In this context, out-of-plane mechanisms have been identified as the principal responsible for disastrous scenarios and the associated dynamic phenomena are still requiring further investigation. The grand objectives of the project address the 11th goal of the UN 2030 Agenda, which deals with the Sustainability of Cities and Communities. The achievement of the established target is organised in four work packages: 1) WP1-Study of the seismic input signal, 2) WP2- Data sets of experimental dynamic responses of masonry structures, 3) WP3-Numerical approaches for simulation of out-of-plane behaviour and 4) WP4-Analytical approaches for the out-of-plane assessment. The present PhD doctoral research program focuses on the development of the second work package, which deals with the performance of numerous experimental tests on masonry structures. The project focuses on the characterisation of the static and the dynamic out-of-plane behaviour. The two main objectives of the present research project are to provide experimental data to improve the knowledge of non-well known phenomena of masonry dynamics and identify the key parameters that significantly influence the out-of-plane response.

Scientific Area

Sustainable Cities
Data Science

Host Institution(s)

Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE)

Supervisor(s)

Paulo José Brandão Barbosa Lourenço
Nathanaël Savalle

Profile

I am a PhD student in Civil Engineering more specifically in the field of structural and seismic engineering applied to masonry structures. I got my master degree in Italy in Building Engineering and Architectures and I am following my interests studying the structural behaviour of the build cultural heritage. I focus in the investigation of the out-of-plane behaviour of masonry assemblage by performing shaking table tests and developing an extensive experimental data-set which provide a description of the seismic behaviour.

Email::carla.colombo95@gmail.com

PhD Student

Catarina Santos

Project Title

Nature-based Solutions for Coastal Defence

Abstract

Coastal areas are complex environments which face extreme challenges regarding their resilience. Over the years, eroding coastlines have mostly been protected by hard engineering structures (groynes, jetties, breakwaters). These, however, lead to sedimentary imbalance, hence the growing popularity of combining them with Nature-based Solutions – such as saltmarshes, mangroves, bivalve reefs, and coral reefs -, which enhance ecosystem services. My researcg work will analyse the possible implementation of oyster reefs in Ria Formosa, which improve water quality, while also dissipating wave energy and protecting the coast. To assess this possibility, it is first important to monitor the erosion problem in the area, through remote sensing techniques (drone and satellite imagery). Addiionally, the different existing protection strategies in Ria Formosa will be compared, regarding the opinion of regional stakeholders on their benefits and cost-effectiveness, using a multicriteria analysis (Analytic Hierarchy Process). The results will be fundamental for the application of a Cost-Benefit Analysis to determine the most cost-efficient and sutainable coastal protection alternative.

Scientific Area

Earth Systems: Oceans to Near Space

Climate Science and Climate Change

Host Institution

MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre

Supervisor(s)

José Carlos Ferreira

Michael W. Beck

Profile

I am Catarina Jóia Santos, a 28-year-old PhD Student and Researcher. My research career dates back to late 2019, when I started my master thesis, which was developed within the scope of a National Project (To-SEAlert, coordinated by LNEC – National Laboratory of Civil Engineering). My master thesis focused on studying shoreline evolution in the months after a beach nourishment, using video monitoring techniques – which endorsed my interest for coastal risk and coastal management. Due to the nature of the beach I was studying (beach in a densily urbanized area in Costa da Caparica), I soon understood that combining hard infrastructures and beach nourishment, although sometimes effective, was not the way to properly restore the ecosystem’s resilience – making me turn my focal interest to nature-based solutions. Overall, my scientific interests also rely on remote sensing techniques, sustainable coastal and urban planning, coastal risk perception and management, and stakeholder engagement.

Regarding my personal interests, asides from mindlessly scrolling on Tik Tok (as the millenial I am), hanging out with friends and loved ones, and travelling (specifically outside of Europe), I am most fond of reading. I enjoy reading both on my kindle, as well as physical copies – although I tend to enjoy the latter the most, as book-buying is another of my hobbies. I mostly read literary fiction, although I also enjoy romcoms and memoirs. Some of the books I have loved the most in the past years are: anything by Emily Henry, Hello Beautiful (Ann Napolitano), Remarkably Bright Creatures (Shelby Van Pelt), Conservations on Love (Natasha Lunn), Dear Dolly (Dolly Alderton), Know My Name (Chanel Miller), Crying in H Mart (Michelle Zauner), Persuasion (Jane Austen), Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin).

Email::csj.santos@fct.unl.pt

PhD Student

Cauê Rios

Project Title

Bottom-up mobilization: the role of social movements in sustainable mobility transitions

Abstract

To address the climate change problems, many global cities and international organisations have introduced various policies and guidelines to promote sustainability. The aim is to find ways to accelerate transitions to strengthen the resilience of cities and achieve sustainability. In documents and reports, transport and mobility are cited as important elements in the transition and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the problems of urban unsustainability are persistent, and there is urgent talk about how to accelerate sustainability transitions. For a transition to take place, it is necessary to bring about changes in ways of doing things (practices), ways of thinking (culture) and ways of organising (structures), which unfold in different phases. This study draws on two theoretical and practical frameworks for analysing sustainable transitions: the multilevel perspective (MLP) and socio-practice theory (SPT). MLP has progressed in recent years in understanding the multidimensionality of socio-technical systems, niche-regime interactions and the more differentiated relationships between new participants and incumbents. SPT is a sociological theory that analyses the connection between individual human actions and the social world, explaining social and cultural phenomena. Practices are built on images (meanings and symbols), skills (know-how) and materials (artefacts and technologies). So far, academic research on sustainability transitions has tended to focus on state and market actors, leaving aside the possible role that members of civil society can play in these processes. Many scholars consider public participation to be a prerequisite for sustainability transitions. Therefore, this research focuses on analysing the role of social movements in sustainable transitions in urban mobility, namely in the starter cycling cities in the global North and South.

Scientific Area

Sustainable Cities

Climate Science and Climate Change

Host Institution

CITTA – Research Centre for Territory, Transports and Environment, University of Porto

Supervisor(s)

Cecília Silva

Profile

I graduated in Architecture and Urbanism at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), where there’s a strong tendency for urban and regional planning. My experiences during graduation have focused on urban spaces in medium-sized cities. After the bachelor’s degree, my professional and academic profile emphasised urban planning grounded on sustainable mobility. While at my master’s at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, I developed studies on promoting cycling in starter cycling cities and the planners’ attitudes in the institutions related to sustainable mobility. I worked as a junior investigator for the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for a 5-year, which allowed me to develop a scientific methodology. I am now a junior researcher for CITTA (Research Centre for Territory, Transports and Environment/Centro de Investigação do Território Transportes e Ambiente) at the FEUP. I continue my studies on sustainable transitions in transport as a PhD student at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto as an FCT scholarship holder under the MIT Portugal Program.

Email::up201802192@up.pt

PhD Student

Cláudia Rodrigues

Project Title

URBAN SPATIAL DATA ANALYSIS: Towards Safe, Inclusive, and Sustainable Spaces

Abstract

Commonly, cities are organized around areas that present different socio-economic dynamics. Understanding these dynamics is of main interest to evolve and promote urban livability and sustainability. Mobile operators collect data with geographic references. Such data can play a crucial role in inferring human mobility and communication patterns. Moreover, given the worldwide availability of mobile phones, the data collected through them can represent all groups of the population.
The aim of this research is to model how people move and socialize in a city through the analysis of spatial data, with special attention to understanding how citizens use the public space. We use the semantics of the different areas including information on socio-economic behavior, crimes, and Points of Interest (POIs) to identify areas of the city with distinct dynamics. Mobile phone data is also analyzed to perceive these dynamics and recognize the mobility and homophily patterns of the population. Such information can be used to understand the movement flows, identify how the space is used, and if there are potentially isolated zones.
Ultimately, the identification of vulnerable areas in public spaces can be used to promote safety and inclusiveness actions. This information is valuable for decision-making, in order to prevent crime, avoid potential isolated communities, and generally, improve the quality of living in urban areas. Additionally, the recognition of citizens’ mobility patterns can be used to improve public transport and, therefore, reduce traffic congestion and environmental pollution, which are consequences of accelerated urbanization.

Scientific Area

Sustainable Cities

Data Science

Host Institution

University of Coimbra

Supervisor(s)

Marco Veloso

Carlos Bento

Profile

My name is Cláudia Rodrigues. I am a PhD student at the University of Coimbra. My research focuses on studying spatial data to understand dynamics in urban spaces, namely its safety and inclusiveness. I finished my master’s degree in informatics engineering in 2021, and since then I have been using my programming and analysis skills to analyze data. I am fascinated by studying the urban space and using artificial intelligence to understand how it is used and how it can be improved. I also spend part of my free time to apply my skills to analyze financial data and the markets.

Email::cbarodrigues@dei.uc.pt

PhD Student

Erany Constantino

Project Title

Heat Transfer Enhancement of Thermal Solar Systems

Abstract

Solar thermal energy systems have been considered a promising solution to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Concentrated solar thermal (CST) technologies collect and concentrate solar radiation to transform it into high-temperature thermal applications, such as process heat or electricity production. However, it is necessary to enhance the efficiency of CST technologies and use low-cost manufacturing processes to make them attractive to the international energy sector. Concentration Solar Power (CSP) is recognized as a renewable energy technology that can make a sounder contribution to the transformation of the energy sector since it captures and stores the sun’s radiation in the form of heat, using stable materials. From the different CSP technologies, the parabolic dish solar concentrator (PDSC) is considered one of the most promising solutions since it can be applied in several applications from the electricity production to the cooking, desalination, and irrigation. This versatility makes PDSC suitable to be implemented in regions in which the access to electricity is very scarce, improving the quality of life of rural population. This system composed of a solar concentrator, solar receiver, heat exchange fluid, and the solar tracking system, ensures high concentration ratio being appropriate for high temperature applications. Power generation through the solar thermal route relies on an efficient solar receiver that uses the incoming energy to produce electricity or thermal energy by heating a fluid. However, other components directly influence the efficiency of the system, the solar collector collects solar radiation and reflects it to the solar receiver, the material, size, angle of inclination, and distance from the receiver influence the efficiency of the system. The working fluid exchanges heat with the receiver, playing an important role on the heat transfer performance of the system. The solar tracker automatically follows the movement of the sun, ensuring that the solar collector always receives the highest intensity of solar radiation. Due to the complexity of this PDSC, the costs of materials and manufacturing technology are huge, making this technology expensive. To make this technology more effective and attractive to the market, there is a need to increase its efficiency and invest in new materials and manufacturing technologies at affordable costs. In this context, to provide an innovative solution that contributes to the clean transformation of the energy sector, this thesis proposal aims to develop an efficient PDSC technology using multiple impact jets and porous media to increase solar receiver efficiency, apply advanced manufacturing technologies, and materials sustainable to obtain an economical and reliable system. To conduct the project, experimental and numerical methods will be applied. This work presents the motivation and the literature review that supports the objectives and the research opportunity of this proposal. The methodologies and the different tasks that are expected to be conducted to achieve the project goals will be presented in this work plan.

Scientific Area

Climate Science and Climate Change

Earth Systems: Oceans to Near Space

Host Institution

University of Minho

Supervisor(s)

Flávia Vieira Barbosa

Hélder Jesus Fernandes Puga

Senhorinha Fátima Capela Fortunas Teixeira

José Carlos Fernandes Teixeira

Profile

I am a Mechanical Engineer specializing in internal combustion engines, but currently studying, researching and investigating renewable energies with greater emphasis on solar concentration systems.

Email::eranyconstantino22@hotmail.com

PhD Student

Eva Iñiguez Santamaria

Project Title

UV-filters from insular ocean-cities. Impact on the marine sustainability

Abstract

UV-filters are emerging pollutants related with the massively use of human care products. Little is known about their levels and humans and ecological risks. Ocean-cities are relevant todevelop solutions to emerging urban problems in view to sustainable progress. This work will be carried out in Madeira Island, that has the ideal characteristics for the study of the UV-filters traceability due to its geographical isolation, demography and geomorphology that allow interactions between marine environments, from the coast to deep water systems, human activities, and waste waters. The presence of these contaminants in coastal systems will be studied to observe their bioaccumulation and biomagnification along food chains in different habitats, from primary to apex consumers. Ecological sustainable solutions to decrease the UV-filters environmental risk will be inferred. The scientific knowledge obtained can changeattitudes and behavior towards a more sustainable life.

Scientific Area

Sustainable Cities

Host Institution(s)

University of Madeira, MARE-Madeira, CIIMAR

Supervisor(s)

Nereida Cordeiro,
Ana Dinis,
Manfred Kaufmann

Profile

If I can define my life in one word it would be the sea. I am Eva and I am a marine biologist. I’m from a small inland town in the north of Spain but I have spent a lot of time near the coast in Cadiz, I always think that’s why since I was 2 years old I see some kind of attraction to the oceans and the life that can be found in them. That’s why I moved to Madrid to study biology and I had the opportunity to do a conservation internship with loggerhead turtles in Cape Verde, and do different activities related to field work in different places in Spain. That encouraged me to study a master’s degree in marine biology and move to Tenerife, where I spent 3 years studying and working in this exciting field. Thanks to my Erasmus + internship I had the chance to meet MARE Madeira as a research group and collaborate with them and the University of Madeira, which gave me the opportunity to write a project that today is the main topic of my PhD thanks to the support of MIT-Portugal. Mixing trophic ecology and ecotoxicology I am studying the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of an emerging pollutants present in cosmetics and sun creams in different trophic chains to evaluate how mass tourism can affect seawater quality and healthy of ecosystems in an oceanic island whose main economic activity is based on tourism.

Email::eva.iniguez@mare-centre.pt

PhD Student

Filipa Corais

Project Title
The city “walking” to 2050. Braga as a Laboratory for a resilient and sustainable system

Abstract
The Mobility concept, as an objective to achieve the Goals defined for 2050, is the catalyst pretext to explore matters intrinsic to the domain of Architecture. The central research laboratory is Braga. However, in order to incorporate the current best practices in Sustainable Urban Mobility (SUM), five cities have been selected – Bielefeld, Oxford, Pontevedra, Barcelona and Copenhagen – which will serve as a reference to the proposed research strategy. This approach aims to explore the role of Architecture in the paradigm shift in Mobility and to evaluate the level of commitment to the goals set for 2050 and its resilience in the face of calamity situations, such as COVID-19. The potentialities to combine theory and practice are underlying the methodological principles and imbued with urban acupuncture strategies and projects (SoláMorales, 2008), that have a greater influence on changing social behaviors for SUM and on the replication capacity.

Scientific Area
Sustainable Cities
Climate Science & Climate Change

Host Institution(s)
School of Architecture, University of Minho

Supervisor(s)
Cidália Silva
Cecília Silva
Miguel Bandeira

Profile
Filipa Corais is currently developing a PhD at the School of Architecture of University of Minho. She has a degree in Architecture from the University of Coimbra (1998) and a master’s degree in “Planning and Design of the Urban Environment”, from the FAUP/FEUP of the University of Porto (2004). She has been the Head of the Mobility Division at the Braga City Council since 2016. Up to that date and since 2000 she was a Senior Technician in the Planning Division of the Municipality of Braga. Among the responsabilities performed in Braga City Council stand out: participation in the development of the Braga PDM review (2015); the coordination of the project “Braga Urban Innovation Laboratory Demonstrator (BUILD)”, that frames the SchoolBus project and the Braga Urban Innovation Laboratories, that integrates a multidisciplinary team of scholarship holders and whose main partners are the University of Minho and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL); coordination, by the municipality: of the development of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS); of the Municipal Transport Authority of Braga; of the partnerships and networks of cities for Mobility (e.g. Quadrilátero, URBACT, CIVITAS, Eurocities, among others) and of the several national and European applications for the promotion of mobility. She is a visiting professor at the ESA-IPVC, since 2008 and she was an invited teacher in undergraduate and master’s classes at the University of Minho, at the School of Engineering and Architecture (2015; 2018; 2019; 2020).

Email:fcorais@gmail.com

PhD student

Filipa Ferreira

Project Title

Uncertainty interpretations for the robustness of object detection in self-driving vehicles

Abstract

Autonomous driving has become one the evolutionary trends of the 21st century as industry races towards the realisation of the technology in its full potential. Novelties in the area of deep learning have enforced this realisation, as they demonstrate high accuracy levels in a variety of autonomy-critical tasks. Perception tasks, central to any autonomous-vision based system, have directly benefited largely from such innovations. Nevertheless, the accuracy rises being reported in literature are not necessarily followed by a rise in the confidence in these systems. The unfortunate Tesla accident, for example, happened with the propagation of a perception error throughout the pipeline of the vehicle, resulting in a collision with a white trailer that had been identified by the model as sky. The uncertainty of the classification could have been a decisive factor for the decision pipeline of Tesla’s vehicle. Even so, research efforts on perception do not generally provide uncertainty estimation for predictions, focusing only on improving dataset-dependent accuracy levels. Specific to perception, the quantification of uncertainty in different components of the model could provide information with great impact on the safety of these vehicles, yet most uncertainty estimation methodologies are generic. What is more, when available, this uncertainty can not be used in downstream tasks as the incorporation of these estimates has not been too explored in literature.

On this note, this research project aims to conceptualise uncertainty interpretations and quantification methodologies for deep-learning-based object detection for autonomous driving applications. Furthermore, it is intended to provide a case study of the use of perception uncertainty estimates in downstream layers of the AV pipeline, such as decision-making, in order to showcase whether these estimates enable error recovery (e.g. misclassifications, missing objects). We thus aim to demonstrate the importance of a statistical interpretation of deep learning models on the enhancement of the interpretability and interaction between different artificial cognitive processes, thus approximating intelligent systems and human behaviour. We believe this project has the potential to enable the increased safety and sustainability of such vehicles, by demonstrating confidence on fault tolerant behaviour, reducing accident events and preventing deaths.

Scientific Area

Sustainable Cities
Data Science

Host Institution(s)

Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto

Supervisor(s)

Rosaldo J.F. Rossetti

Profile

Hello! My name is Filipa M. Ramos Ferreira and I am 26 years old. I was granted a Master’s degree in Informatics Engineering by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto in 2018. Chasing my passion for deep learning, I integrated Bosch’s R&D center where I worked on an innovation project for deep-learning based perception with application to autonomous driving. Following that, I became a tech lead for an explainable AI innovation sub-project in the same field of application where I explored uncertainty quantification for deep learning in perception systems. Currently, I am a PhD fellow with MIT Portugal in the area of Sustainable Cities with a research project that came about naturally from my past professional experiences. I aim to study uncertainty interpretations and quantification methodologies that may increase the interpretability and reliability of deep learning in safety-critical settings, with autonomous driving being the key field of application.

On my free time, I like to read all sorts of books. I am especially passionate about fantasy novels. I also enjoy embroidery and having fun walks with my puppy.

Email::filiparamos@fe.up.pt

PhD Student

Jade Müller Carneiro

Project Title

An eco-design approach to enhance the sustainability of novel biopolymers

Abstract

Eco-design incorporates environmental aspects into product development but often fails to provide quantitative and robust assessment, especially at the early development stages. Ex-ante life cycle assessment (LCA) is a future-oriented approach for assessing the environmental impacts of novel technologies (at low TRL), involving process scale-up and scenario analysis to model future industrial production.
This thesis aims to develop an eco-design approach for novel biopolymers, combining ex-ante LCA with multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). The specific goals are: i) combining robust and agile scale-up techniques to model the future industrial-scale production (TRL 9) of novel biopolymers (TRL 3-5); ii) integrating LCA and MCDA to compare and select the most sustainable alternatives while incorporating cost and technical aspects; iii) comparing the life-cycle performances of novel biopolymers (at low TRL) with commercial fossil-based polymers (TRL 9) considering scaling, uncertainty, and exploratory scenarios.
The eco-design approach will be developed for biopolymers still at the lab stage (TRL 3-5) for food packaging applications (e.g., nano-reinforced starch films). This involves employing and combining several techniques and methods. Life cycle industrial-scale models will be implemented by applying scale-up techniques (process calculations, simulation, etc.). Material properties will be considered using material substitution factors (MSF). MCDA will be applied at the output level (LCA scores, costs, technical aspects). Additionally, exploratory scenarios will consider potential technological changes and future energy mixes.
The expected contribution of the PhD thesis is a tool that integrates multi-criteria sustainability assessment into product development from early R&D. While biopolymers will be used as a novel product example, the eco-design approach may be adapted for other novel bio-based technologies.

Scientific Area

Sustainable Cities

Host Institution(s)

Association for the Development of Industrial Aerodynamics (ADAI)

Supervisor(s)

Fausto Freire
Carla Rodrigues

Profile

I’m a PhD Candidate in Sustainable Energy Systems at the University of Coimbra and a research fellow at the Center for Industrial Ecology/ADAI-LAETA. I’ve been working on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Sustainability since 2017, during my Bachelor’s and Master’s dissertations, as well as internships at Nestlé (CH) and Embrapa (BR). More recently I started working on Prospective LCA of novel bio-based technologies (at low TRL). Other research interests include: Eco-design/LCA of Bio-based products, Food, and Packaging; Integration of LCA and Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA).

Email::jade.muller@dem.uc.pt

PhD Student

João Fonseca

Project Title
Preprocessing methods for Supervised Learning and Land Use/Land Cover Classification

Abstract
Despite the importance of Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) maps to promote sustainability and good resource management, their production continues to be a challenging task. There are various factors that contribute towards the difficulty of generating accurate timely updated LULC maps, both via automatic or photo-interpreted LULC mapping. Data preprocessing, although being a crucial step for any Machine Learning task, is particularly important in the remote sensing domain due to the overwhelming amount of untreated data continuously gathered from multiple remote sensing missions. My PhD project focuses on the challenges found in automatic LULC classification tasks, specifically in data preprocessing tasks: imbalanced learning and anomaly detection problems are addressed as primary aims. Feature extraction and parameter tuning techniques are addressed as secondary/contingency aims.

Scientific Area
Data Science
Earth Systems: from Oceans to near Space

Host Institution(s)
School of Information Management and Data Science, NOVA University of Lisbon

Supervisor(s)
Fernando Bação

Profile
Hello, my name is João Fonseca. I am a 1st year PhD student and Machine Learning researcher at NOVA Information Management School working with Prof. Fernando Bação on artificial data generation, active learning and data preprocessing methods. Specifically, I am focused on improving the quality of Land Use/Land Cover classification tasks through the application of these data preprocessing methods.

In the past, I conducted research on Land Use/Land Cover classification methods to automatically update LULC maps of the Portuguese mainland. My work included the development of pipelines to systematize the preprocessing of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery for any given period of time. I also developed and deployed different types of algorithms for various tasks, such as data filtering, dimensionality reduction, feature extraction and classification.

I was also a volunteer at DSSG Solve, where I integrated a team of 4 data scientists. Our project focused on leveraging Twitter discourse to characterize narratives and identify unmet needs in response to Cyclone Amphan, which affected 18 million people around the bay of Bengal in May 2020.

My previous work focused on the study of the potential of Big data in tourism management, at NOVA School of Business and Economics. Before that, I completed my Msc in Information Management at NOVA Information Management School. I also completed a Msc in Management at NOVA School of Business and Economics.

Email:jpfonseca@novaims.unl.pt

PhD Student

José Caetano

Project Title
InverseESA: Inverse Catalytic Optimization for Sustainable Epoxide Manufacture

Abstract
This PhD project aims to develop a computational inverse Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship model, to optimize industrial catalytic epoxidation of small alcohols and alkenes. In turn, it will address sustainable manufacturing solutions towards this high economic value chemical reaction. The model aims to target the chemical space by implementing recent data science methodologies, which in turn feed and train machine learning models with data obtained from available experimental results. The project intends to embolden chemists and industries with a predictive model that eases reaction conditions, avoiding high cost quantum mechanics calculations and catalyst design by trial-and-error. It will also allow to find optimal epoxidation catalysts using biomass-based feedstock, thus avoiding the need of raw fossil-fuel commodities. This model will allow to reduce the environmental impact of these industries, lowering waste production, while generating higher product yields.

Scientific Area
Data Science
Digital Transformation in Manufacturing

Host Institution(s)
Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto

Supervisor(s)
Maria Natália Dias Soeiro Cordeiro
Filipe Carlos Teixeira Gil

Profile
José Ferraz-Caetano is a PhD Student on Sustainable Chemistry on the MIT Portugal Program. He has a BSc and a MSc in Chemistry, by the Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto. During his education, he specialized in Physical and Medicinal Chemistry, namely in development of new catalytic solutions in the Pharmaceutical field.
His experience includes full Medical Basic formation from Faculty of Medicine of University of Lisbon, an international internship as an Invited Researcher at University of Vigo (Team NanoTech), expertise in production line support for Pharmaceutical companies (Hovione S.A.) and was a member of the CIQUP – Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, on the Physical Analytical Chemistry & Electrochemistry Division. Currently, he is a member of LAQV-REQUIMTE – Porto, where he developed physical and analytical methods towards the design of novel medicinal bioactive substances. As of today, José is working on the QUIMAT division on applied Machine Learning methods to develop new catalysts towards green process chemistry. José also conducts research in History of Science and Science Education, including organization and development of several scientific communication activities.

Email:jose.caetano@fc.up.pt

PhD Student

Leandro Madureira

Project Title
Methane biofixation by microalgae/cyanobacteria systems

Abstract
CO₂ is the most concentrated greenhouse gas (GHG) in the atmosphere and, for this reason, it is the basis of climate policies, leaving other GHGs, such as CH₄, in the background. CH₄ is the second most prevalent GHG emitted by human activities; although its lifetime in the atmosphere is much shorter than CO₂, CH4 is more efficient on trapping radiation than CO₂, presenting a global warming potential 84-87 times greater over 20 years. Additionally, the methodologies currently employed for CH4 emissions mitigation, typically physicochemical-based procedures, comprise high-energy requirements and the production/release of CO2 to the atmosphere. Therefore, this project aims at evaluating the ability of microalgae and cyanobacteria (monocultures and cocultures) to fixate CH4 (and the resulting CO2), in order to convert it into biomass and high-value biocompounds for different biotechnological fields.

Scientific Area
Climate Science & Climate Change
Earth Systems: from Oceans to near Space

Host Institution(s)
School of Engineering, University of Minho

Supervisor(s)
António Augusto Martins de Oliveira Soares Vicente
Maria Madalena dos Santos Alves
Vitor Manuel de Oliveira e Vasconcelos

Profile
I hold a BSc degree (2017) in Biotechnology from the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Beira Interior, and I completed my Master degree (2019) in Biotechnology from the School of Engineering at the University of Minho. During my academic research, microalgae turn into the subject of my work when I realised the potential of its biomass and natural products for several biotechnological applications, namely as a more sustainable and healthy food or feed chain and as an attractive approach to CO2 mitigation. For this reason, I developed my Master´s thesis project at the Centre of Biological Engineering, at the University of Minho (CEB-UM), which was focused on the evaluation of agro-industrial by-products for auto- and heterotrophic growth of Pavlova spp. and Nannochloropsis spp., respectively. In November 2019, I was granted with a Research Fellow (BSc) to work on the evaluation of agro-industrial by-products as ingredients for microalgae Pavlova gyrans culture medium. In March 2020, I was granted with other Research Fellow (MSc) at CEB-UM, in a project framed in microalgal biomass valorisation, by assessing microalgae cell growth, both in photobioreactors and fermenters, and applying electric fields processing for lipid extraction (ALGAVALOR). Currently, I have been awarded the 2020 MPP2030FCT PhD Grant, hosted under the MIT Portugal Partnership 2030, with the project entitled “Methane biofixation by microalgae/cyanobacteria systems”. This project is the basis of my doctoral program in Chemical and Biological Engineering at CEB-UM.

Email:leandromadureira@ceb.uminho.pt

PhD Student

Luiz Claudio Navarro

Project Title

I4F Intelligent Fish Farming for Future

Abstract

Growth dispersion is a problem that affects all stages of the aquaculture production cycle. It causes losses due to cannibalism at early stages, diseases in smaller and weaker fish, and finally a reduction in product quality and revenue at harvest due to weight dispersion. To minimize such problems, farmers periodically grade their fish stock to achieve a more uniform fish size. However, this increases production costs because it requires specialized equipment and human labor and causes stress to the fish and can also lead to mortality. The PhD project called Intelligent Fish Farming for Future (I4F project) aims to develop a software platform, a breakthrough and innovative machine learning based software to predict weight dispersion during the growth cycle based on rearing conditions (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen) to plan and determine optimized grading cycles that reduce costs, increase product quality and price, and reduce risks associated with the grading process. This is a breakthrough technology to improve aquaculture productivity, strengthen sustainability and environmental footprint. The I4F project will also provide an optimization model to reduce the number of classifications and reduce the use of resources (tanks) in the grading procedures, improving animal welfare and reducing costs.

Scientific Area

Sustainable Cities

Host Institution

Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto

Supervisor(s)

Rodrigo Ozório

Aníbal Matos

Anderson Rocha

Profile

Luiz Navarro graduated from the Polytechnic School of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil in 1982 with a degree in electrical engineering, specializing in digital systems (Computing Engineering). After working for 35 years as a software engineer and systems architect in the software development industry, where he was involved in large projects as a project manager and in leadership roles, he decided to pursue an academic and scientific career to contribute to the expansion of knowledge in areas of social impact. Science for social good and sustainability is his life goal. In 2018, he received his Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Institute of Computing of the State University of Campinas in Brazil. He published articles in high impact factor journals in computer security, digital forensics, and untargeted metabolomics biomarker research for diseases (Zika, Paracocomicosis, weight gain, COVID -19) in high resolution mass spectrometry data, leading to a pioneering patented method for molecular selection in metabolomics. He is currently a PhD candidate at University of Porto working on the application of machine learning methods to improve productivity, product quality, fish welfare and ecological footprint in aquaculture.

Email::lnavarro@ciimar.up.pt

PhD Student

Marcos Motta

Project Title
Mobility mining – from individual to group urban mobility patterns. Compartmental and social network influence in travel behavior modeling from Social media mining.

Abstract
An adequate description of travel demand in an urban area is crucial for mobility management, fostering an efficient urban metabolism. However, to this day, traditional data gathering was unable to effectively provide the needed decision support backed by statistically unbiased evidence for all kinds of trips. This thesis proposal takes a radically new perspective to demand characterization, relating the user’ profile to a predictable trip pattern, herein using all big data from Online Social Media (OSM), namely text, images, social links, and geodata. From here, the definition of homophily relationships (clusters) for associated users concerning mobility will allow, much more than usual, adequate characterization of transportation demand within a specific urban area. The ultimate goal is to provide the needed data-backed tools to allow governance to successfully fulfill users’ mobility needs, providing conditions to have a better sustainable environment for a city

Scientific Area
Sustainable Cities
Data Science

Host Institution(s)
Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon

Supervisor(s)
Luiz Guilherme de Picado Santos
Joao Paulo Costeira
Claudia A. M. Soares

Profile
I have been working in transportation since the technical high school, back in 1987. That early experience made me settle for transportation engineering as a college major and marked the beginning of a longstanding path in the field. At first, I focused my activity on highways and railroad infrastructure, but then I slowly moved on to traffic engineering and transportation planning. In the first half of my career, I mostly acted as a highway technician and traffic engineer for a private engineering consulting company and then for Rio de Janeiro Traffic Engineering Company, a City Hall enterprise. I spent the whole second half of my career with the Brazilian National Social, Economic and Development Bank (BNDES). In 2008, I was invited to participate in the BNDES Board of Directors as a Technical Advisor and after, in 2012, I became a Manager for Financial Support of International Projects of Infrastructure. Parallelly to my full-time position, during the past 25 years, I have always kept a substantial practice as a private consultant related to transportation engineering. I have built expertise in traffic impact evaluation, transportation system assessment, design projects, always using microsimulation tools and techniques, geographic information systems (GIS), and many CAD’s software. Since the beginning of my career I have been developing computational skills and at this point, I foresee that a new professional objective is quickly materializing for me: an academic and research practice that can be fueled by the profound reflection I have made from my longstanding practice undertaken in the past 32 years and for the new Mobility research environment fostered with Big Data and Machine Learning evolution.

Email:marcosmotta@edu.ulisboa.pt

PhD Student

Marcos Tenente

Project Title
Multiple benefits of energy efficiency policies: Exploring new assessment tools

Abstract
According to European Commission (EC), 75% of the European Union (EU) building stock is energy inefficient according to the current standards. Furthermore, more than 85% of these buildings will still be in use in 2050. In Portugal, 66% of residential buildings were built before the introduction of the energy efficiency (EE) requirements for new buildings. In fact, 33% of the residential building stock was built before 2012 and shows low energy performance levels. In this context, the need to promote EE in buildings was brought to the European energy and climate policy agenda as a key factor in reducing energy consumption and emissions. In the same vein, Portugal has deployed several programs to promote EE. However, the evaluation of the EE measures to be financed is mainly based on cost-benefit analysis during the operation phase mainly accounting for energy and emissions savings, neglecting other potential benefits, and neglecting the potential impacts of other lifecycle phases, inherent to the investment in these types of actions. Nevertheless, some programs put new evaluation criteria into play such as job creation and compliance with national energy policies. With the foregoing in mind, this work aims to develop a new holistic approach based on the combination of mathematical programming models with Hybrid Input-Output – Life cycle Analysis (HIO-LCA) to help public Decision-Makers (DMs) in the choice and evaluation of EE measures that can be supported and adopted in the residential sector, which allows considering the potential economic, energy, environmental, and social impacts, and other benefits generated throughout its lifecycle, promoting a more adequate assessment of measures, potentially contributing to increase the their attractiveness. In this study the Portuguese residential sector will be used as case study, however, this approach is ready to be employed to any technology in any country as long as the available supporting data is adapted.

Scientific Area
Climate Science & Climate Change
Data Science

Host Institution(s)
Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra

Supervisor(s)
Álvaro Gomes
Carla Margarida Saraiva de Oliveira Henriques
Patrícia Pereira da Silva

Profile
Hello, my name is Marcos Tenente, I am a PhD candidate in Sustainable Energy Systems doctoral program at University of Coimbra and a researcher at INESC Coimbra in the field of multiple benefits of energy efficiency. Until this moment in my life I have always studied and worked simultaneously which provided me the necessary skills, motivation, sense of responsibility and resilience needed to pursue my goals. One of these goals is related to the development of new methodological approach designed to assist Portuguese policy makers in the development of tailored programs for the financing of energy efficiency technologies for the residential sector, considering the energy, environmental, economic and social benefits created in the countries, thereby reducing their energy consumption, lowering emissions, fostering a bust in innovation and economy and reducing energy poverty’s related problems.

Email::marcos.tenente@inescc.pt

PhD Student

Matilde Marques

Project Title
Microbiome therapy for improved coral health and reef resilience

Abstract
The conservation of coral reefs is under unparalleled pressure due to climate change. Coral-microbiome interactions play key roles in coral health in climate change scenarios, but our ability to benefit from such interactions to conserve the reefs’ ecological balance is unexplored. This project addresses this pressing demand using unprecedent microbiome manipulation of foundational octocoral species of the genus Eunicella. It aims to develop multi-species inoculants of octocoral-associated bacteria and test their effectiveness in boosting coral resilience towards temperature and pathogen pressures. This will be achieved via 1) phenotypic and genotypic screening of octocoral bacterial symbionts for host-beneficial properties; 2) development of multi species inoculants and in-vivo evaluation of successful host colonization in microcosm experiments; 3) in-vivo determination of the effect of microbiome therapy on host resilience using a high-end mesocosm facility. This project will increase our knowledge of coral-microbiome functioning, while delivering custom methodology useful for future coral reef restoration practices.

Scientific Area
Earth Systems: from Oceans to near Space
Climate Science & Climate Change

Host Institution(s)
Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon

Supervisor(s)
Rodrigo Costa
Tina Keller-Costa
Raquel Peixoto

Profile
Currently developing my PhD on coral microbiomes, I obtained my Master’s degree in Biotechnology in December 2019 from the Instituto Superior Técnico (University of Lisbon), and my Bachelor’s degree in Biology, with specialization in Molecular Biology and Genetics, in July 2017 from the Faculdade de Ciências (University of Lisbon). In my master thesis, I investigated the bioactivity of chemical extracts from marine bacterial symbionts of soft corals and sponges against human lung and breast cancer cells. Fascinated by the myriad facets of Biology, during my undergraduate studies, I have worked in the area of phytoremediation, completed an internship in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and HIV Epidemiology (Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon) and attended workshops related with Forensic Entomology and Biological and Forensic Anthropology. In my academic as well as personal life, I value both, learning new things and sharing knowledge and experiences. Guilty of being an avid reader and sun addict, I enjoy plenty outdoors adventures – mountain biking, hiking, (inline) skating. Currently working on my painting, programming and surfing skills.

Email:matildesangremanmarques@tecnico.ulisboa.pt

PhD Student

Miguel Lima

Project Title

The role of large-scale patterns in climate extremes in a changing climate

Abstract

Extreme weather and climate events occur in complex dynamic conditions. Understanding the role of large-scale patterns in these extreme events is paramount to increase our knowledge on their impacts and future evolution in the context of climate change. In this context, this PhD work aims at studying large quasi-stationary areas of high atmospheric pressure, or atmospheric blockings, which are known for their links to temperature extremes, as well as the induction of dry or wet areas in the mid-latitudes by affecting the tracks of cyclones. Methodologically, this PhD aims at introducing machine learning in the identification and classification of these blockings as well as in the association with extreme weather. Furthermore, this study aims at assessing the past and future changes in the evolution of these large-scale events through the use of state-of-the-art paleo and climate models, respectively.

Scientific Area

Climate Science and Climate Change

Data Science

Host Institution

Instituto Dom Luiz, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon

Supervisor(s)

Ricardo Trigo

Pedro Matos Soares

Profile

My name is Miguel Lima and I am a PhD student, having started this degree in the fall of 2023. I completed my licenciatura in Meteorology, Oceanography, and Geophysics at the Faculdade de Ciências in the University of Lisbon in 2020, and have in 2023 completed the master course in Geophysical Sciences, specializing in Meteorology and Oceanography, at the same institution. I have since 2019 been working at the Associated Laboratory Instituto Dom Luiz (IDL) in a rich multidisciplinary environment, being part of two international projects (STorM & DISCOVERAzores) and participated in four others (ROADMAP, WEx-Atlantic, FireCast, & MEDCYCLONES). My first focus was on the relation of oceanic waves and microseismicity, which then moved to the in-depth study of the evolution and impacts caused by Tropical Cyclones in the Northeastern sector of the Atlantic basin. Currently, I am focused on large- and synoptic-scale patterns affecting extreme events in the northern hemisphere, and have since the beginning of my career been using advanced computational methods with a heavy focus on data science. I have authored 2 published papers and co-authored 4 others (3 published and 1 under review), further fostering relations which will lead to more publications in the near future, additionally I have worked on several technical documents. I have given several talks at an international level and participated in the production of others. I have successfully advised an undergraduate student in his final project and look forward to many more.

Email::malima@fc.ul.pt

PhD Student

Nuno Saraiva

Project Title
Indoor environment in heritage buildings: monitoring and simulation strategies

Abstract
Nowadays several heritage buildings have been suffering operational changes over the last decades. In fact, most cultural places are victims of their own success and suffer from being intensively explored as touristic sights. The management process plays a crucial role in their preservation and it is becoming more complex due to current touristic pressures and heritage challenges. Therefore, it is urgent to study ways to characterize the indoor environmental conditions, identify the possible impact of tourism and define strategies that help in the preservation of cultural heritage. In this context, the doctoral research explores monitoring and simulation procedures to identify causes of inappropriate indoor environment conditions, and the respective risks of degradation, and discuss the most appropriate strategies to preserve heritage patrimony. Considering the indoor environment as a set of hygrothermal, lighting conditions and the particulate matter, a review of the evolution of guidelines for collections was made aiming to assess the actual requirements for conservation and identify gaps that deserve improvements and further research. The research englobes continuous and systematic monitoring campaign followed by a correct assessment of the indoor conditions according to literature approaches. Joanina Library is the case study of this project. For a comprehensive assessment of the indoor environment, a simulation activity is also being carried out. The case study is being modeled using appropriate software, EnergyPlus, in regard to the hygrothermal behavior, and Radiance, for the lighting environment. The data from the monitoring campaign is used for the validation of the models. For this purpose, the research methodology will include the study of the indoor environment by recurring to monitoring and simulation while assessing the efficacy of passive and management strategies for heritage buildings.In this way, the adopted methodology will answer the main research question regarding the need or not to use active systems to control de indoor environment in heritage buildings in today’s context. Not only today, but eventual climate changes and increasing touristic pressure will affect the preservation conditions. Important scientific and technical contributions are expected. The project results will allow us to understand how to use the monitoring campaigns and simulation to characterize the indoor environment and assess the quality of control strategies in this type of space.

Scientific Area
Sustainable Cities

Host Institution(s)
Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra

Supervisor(s)
Adélio R. Gaspar
José J. Costa

Profile
Self-driven engineer, always looking for the next challenge as a researcher. Focused on finishing the Ph.D. program and deepen knowledge within the subject of building science. Main interests: Indoor environmental conditions, Thermal comfort, HVAC systems, Building simulation, Energy efficiency, Preventive conservation

Email:nuno.saraiva@dem.uc.pt

PhD Student

Pedro Oliveira

Project Title

Predictive and Analytic Models for Environmental Pollution

Abstract

Environmental pollution is one of the biggest challenges at the global level. For years, the environment and the natural resources of the planet have been neglected by governments worldwide, mainly due to their agenda in developing countries. The consumption of natural resources is increasing every day, leading, for example, to air and water pollution reaching levels never seen before, through the release of pollutants into these environments. Developing countries due to poverty, lack of investment and rigorous damage to the environment are more affected by environmental pollution.
Preventing and reducing environmental risks is still a challenge today. Several international organizations publish reports every year, showing a higher number of deaths caused by environmental pollution. By reducing environmental hazards, we are helping our planet become more habitable, reducing the number of deaths caused by this scourge.
With the increase in the number of computing devices in our society, the amount of data generated and available has increased exponentially. The information contained in the data is a precious element to extract knowledge. In this sense, my objective is to apply a set of Classic Machine Learning and Deep Learning models in the context of anomaly detection to improve the sustainability of Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). The conception of these models will alert the decision-makers so that they can act more quickly and accurately. Along with the models’ conception, Explainable AI will make it possible to understand whether, in detecting an anomaly in these companies, which features impacted that classification. Through these models, the objective will be to optimize the sustainability of WWTPs in their various fields. As these infrastructures are part of our society, optimizing their sustainability will be reflected in the conception and development of more sustainable cities.

Scientific Area

Data Science

Sustainable Cities

Host Institution(s)

University of Minho – Algoritmi Center

Supervisor(s)

Paulo Novais

Profile

I’m a Machine Learning researcher at Centro Algoritmi at the University of Minho. As a researcher, my focus is on the problem of forecasting in time series and on the process of detecting anomalies involving the area of environmental pollution. Currently, my research focuses on developing Machine and Deep Learning models to improve the decision-making process in Wastewater Treatment Plants to reduce the environmental impact.

With a Machine Learning approach, the objective is to improve environmental sustainability, one of the several focuses of a Smart City. The use of predictive models in the scope of water and air pollutants can significantly impact the prevention of these two types of pollution. In addition, using anomaly detection models in these two areas may lead to a faster containment of potential problems. The use of Artificial Intelligence models plays and will play a key role in achieving levels of environmental sustainability for our planet.

I am passionate about what I do and with a huge desire to learn more and more. I believe that with the help of the technology that surrounds us today, we can achieve a better and more sustainable future for the inhabitants of our planet.

Email::pedro.jose.oliveira@algoritmi.uminho.pt

PhD Student

Rita Pereira

Project Title

A new adaptive design approach for active and improved performance pacifiers

Abstract

Pacifiers are excellent to calm babies, but there are numerous risks about its prolonged use. The current approaches used to design pacifiers are strongly based on accumulated experience. In a previous work of the candidate, it was shown that realistic computational models allow obtaining concrete data on the effects of pacifiers, opening the route to the digital transformation of the pacifier design and manufacturing methods. The work proposed in this project aims at developing a novel pacifier design methodology together with an innovate adaptive pacifier, both conceived with the support of computational modelling tools. The adaptive pacifier will comprise an intelligent sensing system that will allow monitoring its operation in real-time. Data mining will be applied to identify useful patterns in the collected data, which will be used to parameterize the pacifier usage limits, taking into consideration each user suction pattern, thus allowing continuous pacifier usage supervision.

Scientific Area

Digital Transformation in Manufacturing
Data Science

Host Institution(s)

School of Engineering, University of Minho

Supervisor(s)

Cristina Santos
Ana Norton

Profile

I am a Master in Biomedical Engineering with a specialization in Biomaterials, Rehabilitation and Biomechanics from the University of Minho. The study plan for the Integrated Master in Biomedical Engineering was quite comprehensive and multidisciplinary and, throughout my academic career, it was possible to acquire several skills including knowledge, understanding and application and specification of products, equipment, materials and services that interact with patients and/or biological systems. Innovation in medical products, equipment and devices is really my passion and, I am fully committed with future science evolution.
Throughout my academic career, I had the opportunity to get involved in a project in the field of artificial intelligence entitled “Methods of automatic detection of lesions of the intestinal tract in an endoscopic capsule”, which resulted in an article presented at the 15th International Conference on Image Analysis and Recognition (2018). This project allowed me to add to my academic training knowledge, concepts and strategies for implementing a Convolutional Neural Network as a method of learning and automatic recognition of lesions in endoscopic capsule images.
During the last two years, I joined as a research fellow at the Institute for Polymers and Composites, where I dedicated myself to the development of my master’s dissertation entitled “Assessment of pacifier effect through computational modeling” in partnership with MAPA GmbH, one of the world leaders in pacifier production. During this period, I had the opportunity to acquire hard skills in computational modeling with OpenFOAM computational Library, and to check the existing gaps in the approaches adopted for the manufacture of pacifiers.
Aiming at strengthening my academic training, I joined the Doctoral Program in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minho, which presents a very interesting and attractive study plan with an approach to Microtechnologies, Microfabrication of biomedical devices, and the intersection of the scientific areas of Artificial Intelligence, Databases and Knowledge Bases applied to health.
Currently, I am delighted to belong the MIT Portugal community, I believe that this collaboration will be essential to acquire new knowledge and skills and achieve the goals of my PhD project.

:id10080@uminho.pt

PhD Student

Rita Pombo

Project Title
Feasibility study for the deepwater development of the port of Leixões

Abstract
The motivation for the present research plan is to assess the feasibility of a deepwater expansion solution at the port of Leixões, resulting in the first deepwater port terminal in the Portuguese Northwest coast. Regarding the reorganization recently verified in the waterborne freight transport, there is the corresponding need for adapting sea ports existing infrastructures to later receive larger-sized cargo vessels. This proposal thereby addresses Portugal’s competitiveness through its national port system and intends to establish a key tool in defining intervention priorities, pondering the costs, benefits and impacts of such construction work. The port of Leixões was chosen for the case study as it represents a relevant trade share in the Northwest coast of Portugal and Spain and has potential to broaden its hinterland through the increased capacity of handling containerized cargo.

Scientific Area
Earth Systems: from Oceans to near Space

Host Institution(s)
University of Aveiro

Supervisor(s)
Carlos Daniel Borges Coelho
Hugo Guedes Lopes

Profile
Rita Pombo holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, with specialisation in Coastal and Port Engineering, and has 5 years of professional experience in the field of expertise. She worked, in collaboration with the Portuguese National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, on a study for the construction of a detached submerged breakwater to be installed in the Portuguese coast to reduce coastal erosion and protect against wave overtopping, favouring the wave conditions for surfing. During this project she participated in site campaigns by boat to collect local hydrodynamic and sedimentological data. Later, she worked for the Administration System of the Littoral Resource (SIARL), managed by the Portuguese Environment Agency, in the vulnerability prediction model which collects, processes and uploads data into SIARL to expand knowledge on the Portuguese coastline and to support adaptation strategies for installed risks in climate change scenarios. She also provided consultancy services to R5 Marine Solutions company and the Municipality of Loulé, within the scope of the preliminary study of alternative solutions for restructuring the Quarteira groin field (Algarve, Portugal), through the University of Aveiro. The last project she was involved in was named COAST4US and it aimed to validate a cost-benefit analysis software for coastal interventions as a reference management tool with worldwide application. Throughout her professional career, she participated in international conferences and performed further training abroad, namely at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar (Germany) and the Technische Universität Wien (Austria). Currently, she is initiating the Doctorate in Civil Engineering to investigate the feasibility of the deepwater development of the Port of Leixões, under a PhD Scholarship granted by MIT Portugal Program.

Email:ritanovo@ua.pt

PhD Student

Rodrigo Paredes

Project Title

An Advanced Framework for Distributed Plantwide Process Monitoring

Abstract

Current plantwide statistical process monitoring (SPM) methods face problems in detecting and diagnosing localized faults in high-dimensional complex processes, compromising personal safety, quality, efficiency and the environment. They are also unable to handle the multiplicity of time scales that are relevant for fault detection and to conduct degradation prognosis activities. This project proposes a novel framework that brings causality concepts to plantwide distributed SPM, improving fault diagnosis, and defines the optimal aggregation level of variables, for improving monitoring performance. Furthermore, a multiscale decomposition of the time series will be conducted to separate the time scales for monitoring (high frequency bands) from those that represent slow degradation modes (low frequency bands). The proposed methodology is called MAG-NET (Multilevel and multiscale AGgregation of causal NETworks) and it unifies plantwide detection, diagnosis and prognosis.

Scientific Area

Digital Transformation in Manufacturing

Data Science

Host Institution(s)

University of Coimbra

Supervisor(s)

Marco Seabra dos Reis

Profile

I am a highly motivated individual with a master’s degree in chemical engineering, specializing in processes, environment, and energy. Throughout my academic journey, I have developed a keen interest in statistical process monitoring, process control, simulation, and modeling.

Currently, my primary research interests lie in decentralized process monitoring and causality. I really enjoy trying to combine statistical process monitoring methods with causal knowledge.

One of my research experiences involved working on an advanced monitoring systems project in the cork industry. I gained hands-on experience with IoT sensors, data collection, modeling, and simulation during this project. This opportunity allowed me to apply my knowledge in real-world scenarios, contributing to developing monitoring solutions.

The turning point in my scientific journey was when I undertook my master’s thesis on statistical process monitoring with the incorporation of causal information. This experience sparked my passion for exploring the intricate relationships between variables and understanding the underlying causal mechanisms in industrial processes.

Beyond my academic pursuits, I find solace in several hobbies. Music has always been a significant part of my life. I also appreciate poetry, finding inspiration in the beauty of words and self-expression. Additionally, kickboxing and pushing myself outside my comfort zone invigorate me and help me maintain a balanced and resilient mindset.

Email::rparedes@uc.pt

PhD Student

Sara Cerqueira

Project Title
A supportive, ergonomic and Human-aware framework for Human-Robot collaboration

Abstract
This proposal aims at the development of an industrial Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) framework, within the scope of industry 5.0 and the digital transformation in manufacturing. It intends to address the growing number of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs),bringing innovation in ergonomic interventions by providing valuable collaborative robot assistance according to the worker needs through the development of human-aware and human-care control strategies, powered by Artificial Intelligence and interoperable wearable technology. Novelty includes bi-directional interaction between human and robot by identifying and monitoring in real-time the worker’s motion and fatigue during a collaborative task and tailoring the robot physical-collaboration accordingly. Expected benefits include the operator’s well-being, healthier and safer working environments, increased productivity and reduction on the costs derived from WRMSDs, while fostering companies’ industrial competitiveness.

Scientific Area
Digital Transformation in Manufacturing
Data Science

Host Institution(s)
School of Engineering, University of Minho

Supervisor(s)
Cristina P. Santos

Profile
Sara M. Cerqueira was born in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, in 1996. She received an M.Sc. degree in Biomedical Engineering, specialized in medical Electronics, from the University of Minho, Braga, in 2019. She became student member of the IEEE in 2019. During this year, she had an executive role at the University of Minho’s IEEE Student Branch. From 2020 to 2021 she participated in a research grant for Factory of the Future designated “Innovative Industrial human-robot collaborations for improved ergonomics competitiveness”, where she contacted with a real everyday industrial context and was able observe and identify the positive impact a dynamic HRC framework, adapted to the worker, could have on the health and well-being of operators. Until the moment, she authored 1 journal paper and 4 ISI/Scopus conference publications. Currently, she is a MPP PhD candidate at the Eletronics and Computers Engineering doctoral programme and a researcher at Bioinspired Robotic Devices Laboratory (BiRD LAB) from the Centre for MicroElectroMechanical Systems (CMEMS), University of Minho. Her research interests include human-robot collaboration, wearable sensors, Artificial Intelligence, and biofeedback technologies.

Email:saracerqueira1996@gmail.com

PhD Student

Simone Fernandes

Project Title

Advanced MOF-based materials towards dual carbon dioxide capture and conversion

Abstract

The release of colossal amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere is causing catastrophic climate changes and conditioning the future of the Earth. To preserve our planet, it is imperative to control and minimize the CO2 release. However, the reduction of CO2 emissions remains a challenge as the global energy consumption is increasing incessantly and is still mainly supported by fossil fuels. Currently, the capture of CO2 to store in underground reservoirs is well-known, but it can be considered a waist an abundant feedstock for valuable chemical products.
Concerning these problems, the project aims to develop advanced porous metal-organic framework-based platforms to optimize the capture of CO2 and, simultaneously, convert CO2 into an added-value product in various industries. The combination of both functionalities is a strategy for an efficient and cost-effective reduction of the CO2 levels, and allow the production of useful products from an inexpensive feedstock.

Scientific Area

Climate Science and Climate Change

Host Institution

Rede de Química e Tecnologia (REQUIMTE) – Laboratório Associado Para a Química Verde (LAQV)

Supervisor(s)

Luís Manuel Cunha Silva

Maria de La Salete Balula

Profile

Simone C. Fernandes is a PhD student in Sustainable Chemistry under the MPP2030-FCT MIT Portugal grant. The PhD candidate has a BSc and MSc in Chemistry from the University of Porto – Faculty of Sciences. In 2016, she received “Prémio de Apoio à Licenciatura em Química da Faculdade de Ciências da UPorto” awarded by the Sociedade Portuguesa de Química to the best five first-year students.
The student was always fascinated with the idea of scientific research as an answer to today’s world problems. Her academic path has led to the exciting conception of inorganic nanomaterials and catalysis as an answer to societal and ecological concerns. Her master’s thesis was centered on the synthesis of inorganic catalysts for the removal of sulfur and nitrogen pollutants from fuels.
In 2020, she was granted an FCT research summer scholarship “Hands-On-Nano” where she deepened her knowledge of characterization techniques of nanomaterials. She has also participated in several scientific events, with posters and oral communications. As of 2023, she has three scientific articles published and is working on publishing previous work, including one in collaboration with researchers from the University Rey Juan Carlos, Spain.
She is currently embarking on an exciting new project for her PhD thesis, which concerns the preparation of new hybrid nanomaterials to capture and convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) a primary greenhouse gas.

Email::up201603496@edu.fc.up.pt

PhD Student

Tran Quang Minh

Project Title

The digital twin of critical infrastructures for developing sustainable cities

Abstract

Digital twin (DT) is one of the most modern and promising technologies in realizing smart manufacturing and implementing Industry 4.0. DT offers opportunity to integrate the physical world with digital world with a seamless data source. Civil engineering industry, in general, is facing many challenges in the process of digital transformation to improve efficiency and technology to meet the current growth rate of the economy. DT technology has the potential to transform and improve the exploitation and management of infrastructure in civil engineering, especially in the service phase. Based on DT model, managers and maintenance operators can test different scenarios, improve efficiency, and make accurate decisions in maintenance of the structure, leading to reduction of management and other regular monitoring costs, as well as accurate prediction of risks during the lifespan of the infrastructure. This research focuses on building a digital twinning model for the continuous structural health monitoring of critical infrastructure in the service phase.

Scientific Area

Sustainable Cities

Digital Transformation in Manufacturing

Host Institution

University of Minho

Supervisor(s)

José Campos e Matos

Hélder Silva e Sousa

Huan Xuan Nguyen

Profile

Tran Quang Minh completed the Bachelor of Transport Construction Engineering program in 2017, and the Master of Transport Construction Engineering program in 2020 at the University of Transport, Hanoi, Vietnam (UTC). He is currently studying the Sustainability of the Built Environment doctor program at Minho University Azurem campus. He has published 12 Jounal articles in national journals and 03 articles in ESCI international journal, 02 articles in SCIE international journal. He has experience in fields related to civil engineering, Structural health monitoring, Design; Viaduct with many spans, Bridge maintenance; Condition assessment. He has participated in consulting projects on assessment of large bridge structures in Vietnam. Besides, he also participate many scientist projects in Vietnam, such as three projects with Ministry of Education and Training Vietnam, 2 projects with Ministry of Transport Vietnam, and one project with University of Transport and Communications. In 2021, he worked on an international scientific project. InfraCrit Project: Development of an Infrastructure Forecasting and Management system (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-039555-UM.2.19)

Email::minhtq@civil.uminho.pt

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Andre Cardoso

André Claro

Andrea Tarazona

Andreina Zerega

Andressa Oliveira

Andry Castro

Annalaura Vuoto

Arturo Sousa

Aydan Aghabayli

Bardia Naghshineh

Beatriz Biguino

Breno Sousa

Bruna Thomazinho França

Camila Penso

Carla Colombo

Carlos Carvalho

Carlos Hernandez

Catarina Santos

Cauê Rios

Cláudia Rodrigues

Cláudio Meireis

Constantino Justo

Daniel Freitas Lima

Erany Constantino

Eva Iñiguez Santamaria

Fernando Ribeiro

Filipa Corais

Filipa Ferreira

Gabriel Serra

Gil Serrano

Giulia Sent

Glauco Nobrega

Gonçalo Carvalho

Hatice Gonçalves

Heloisa Antunes

Isabel Pereira

Jabez Abraham

Jade Müller Carneiro

Joana Couceiro

Joana Fernandes

Joana Martins

Joana Príncipe

João Faria

João Fonseca

João Ribeiro

João Rocha

José Caetano

Lázaro Costa

Leandro Madureira

Livia Tavares Cosentino

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Lucas Paiva

Luís Oliveira

Luiz Claudio Navarro

Mahla Shariatzadeh

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Marcos Tenente

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Maria José Morais

Mariana Dias

Marina Tenório

Maryam Salati

Matheus Gomes Correia

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