Cristina Barbosa (CITE), André Coelho (CTM) and Pedro Jorge (CAP)

Cristina Barbosa (CITE)

“CITE nominates Cristina Barbosa, for her professionalism, motivation, creativity and flexibility to participate in various activities simultaneously, with class and dedication: support for the development of several project proposals, management of EEN and EEN Innovation projects, organisation and monitoring of training programmes for start-ups, within the scope of the EIT Jumpstart and Ll2Fresh projects. All this ‘with a twinkle in her eye’, as our friend Sérgio Godinho sings. Congratulations to Cristina for her excellent performance and, above all, her joy and enthusiasm”.

– CITE coordinators

Given the current context, what challenges did you face while carrying out your tasks?

The biggest challenges are the creation of value and the expected impact of our activities/the work we carry out. I confess that the balance in prioritising activities and the responsibility implicit in different projects is the hardest, and I would like to do much more and better.

How did you overcome these challenges?

I have acquired a lot of experience and knowledge with all the challenges that CITE has presented me, as well with all the people I have met (in person or virtually); but I do not consider that I overcame them, since many activities are still being implemented, which requires lot of energy. “Overcome” is a very conclusive verb.

Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

The contact with different people and inspiring projects, who seek to innovate and be disruptive agent, in their community and field of work. I consider myself privileged, because they also inspire me to try to do more and even better, when carrying out my day-to-day tasks and duties.

How do you comment on this nomination?

It is a superb Christmas gift. I must confess that I was genuinely surprised and honoured with the nomination, and with all the kind words by the CITE coordinators. I would also like to thank them.

I’d also like to point out how happy I am for being part of CITE – a Centre with noble and inspiring people. Well done!

André Coelho (CTM)

“André Coelho showed an exceptional commitment and played a key role in the team of the mobilisation project CHIC, having contributed to consolidating INESC TEC’s position of thoroughness and technical-scientific capacity within the consortium. André led all the design and execution of the final demonstration of the communications component, having also done exemplary work in the analysis of results, and in the planning of the final deliverable associated with said demonstration. In addition, he assumed a set of operational duties, demonstrating autonomy and ability to coordinate the entire team, and the excellence of the results achieved were widely acknowledged by the consortium”.

– CTM coordinators

Given the current context, what challenges did you face while carrying out your tasks?

In times of deep and unique changes, like the ones we are experiencing, it is not easy to individualise the challenges and the way they affect our work. We needed to quickly adapt and accept a new reality, and I try to rely on my ability to overcome the particular challenges that may arise, on a daily basis.

Inevitably, teamwork activities are carried out in a different way, but I believe they are equally effective. There are no quick chats, namely during those casual meetings in the halls or open spaces. We may not be aware of how colleagues actually feel each day. Impromptu on-site meetings, due to certain momentary situations, ceased to exist. However, and even though these factors can influence teamwork, people still share common goals, with a sense of cooperation and trust, and each person’s ability to do more and better, through adequate and effective leadership.

How did you overcome these challenges?

I believe that communication is a crucial element to overcome challenges. More than ever, it is important to know how to listen, to assimilate everyone’s ideas and vision, to enjoy their experience and knowledge, and to foresee scenarios before taking action. In this sense, the communications services and collaborative work tools we have available were (and have been) crucial to plan all activities, thus reinforcing the role of telecommunications and the importance of their evolution, as means to ensure the conditions necessary to address times like these.

Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most? In your opinion, what is the main differentiating aspect of the project?

As a researcher and PhD student in Telecommunications, having this opportunity to contribute, directly or indirectly, to improve the Quality of Experience provided to people, as users of communications networks and services, is the greatest pleasure. It is also my guiding element.

The mobilising project CHIC – Cooperative Holistic view on Internet and Content – appears within this framework. In fact, my participation in this project, as a member responsible for the communications component, stemmed from the connection between the project and my PhD thesis. The CHIC project allowed me to contribute to the design of a solution that enables wireless access to broadband Internet at large short-term events, benefiting from flying platforms, such as Access Points. This concept allows viewers and camera operators to send video recorded with smartphones and professional cameras to the cloud, thus speeding up the remote production of content in real time. This way, it is possible to overcome some challenges inherent to audio-visual coverage of events like these, including the mobilisation of outdoor camera mounts and the existence of dedicated communications infrastructures, often with insufficient capacity.

As a mobilisation project, CHIC involves a wide and diversified set of entities with complementary skills, including companies, research institutes and end users. This enables the creation of research and innovation synergies, as well as the acceleration in terms of design of new products and scientific-technological solutions, aiming to support different sectors of society, through an ecosystem that gathers industry and academia. In my opinion, this is one of the main differentiating factors of a project like CHIC. At the same time, and in professional and personal terms, I consider this a very relevant opportunity for learning and development.

How do you comment on this nomination?

I am very happy and grateful. I’d like to share this nomination with the team that participated in the project, thanking Eduardo Almeida for his availability and presence throughout the process, and for the leadership and coordination of Professors Rui Campos and Filipe Ribeiro. The involvement of each person was decisive, leading to this nomination. Thank you!

Pedro Jorge (CAP)

“The coordinators of CAP would like to nominate Pedro Jorge, due to his role in conducting the INSITE project negotiation process: leadership, proactivity and conflict resolution capacity”.

– CAP coordinators

Given the current context, what challenges did you face while carrying out your tasks?

The launch of the INSITE project concurred with the travel limitations imposed by the pandemic. Hence, all communication between partners, and activities such as the kick-off and technical meetings, could only take place online or via telephone calls. In addition, and closer to the end of the year, the economic impact on the company benefiting from the technology forced them to leave the project.

How did you overcome these challenges?

The continuous use of digital platforms such as Zoom and document sharing platforms, and the many telephone calls, together with the creation of a digital identity for the project (LinkedIn, Twitter), allowed generating some team spirit, even from a distance. This aspect was crucial, namely when searching for a new partner company. Thanks to the network of contacts of the project’s partners, and the discussion of various ideas, we managed to involve a new company, with a profile suitable to the technology under development within the INSITE project.

Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most? In your opinion, what is the main differentiating aspect of the project?

I particularly enjoy the possibility of testing and validating ideas, from the laboratory to the most advanced phases, involving industrial partners.

The INSITE project aims to promote an advanced technology of composition analysis (Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy – LIBS), resorting to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and amphibious mobility (robotics). This way, the project will lead to a new generation of high-performance analytical tools for robotic, surface and underwater mining, and environmental monitoring.

How do you comment on this nomination?

The fact that our colleagues and coordinators acknowledge our work and effort is always a good thing. However, I would like to leave a recommendation for future performance reviews. The evaluation of each researcher, and potential acknowledgement, should be consider their individual performance, without being conditioned by the Centre’s performance, but rather the overall situation of INESC TEC. Otherwise, the asymmetries generated can be quite demotivating.