Generous, thoughtful, discreet, serene, joyful – these are just some of the words used to describe Maria Antónia Carravilla. Tributes have poured in, not only in person but also online, where heartfelt messages have celebrated the life of an extraordinary woman.
Much is already known about Maria Antónia’s professional career, and it deserves to be highlighted here, for she was an outstanding professional worthy of every tribute. But first, it is important to acknowledge the person behind the achievements, because professional excellence means little without kindness. One must also be an exceptional person – and Maria Antónia Carravilla truly was.
“Organisations like INESC TEC are made up of people, and examples like Maria Antónia’s are incredibly important to the teams we work with and the communities we belong to,” said Lia Patrício, member of the Board of Directors at INESC TEC, as she remembered her friend. “Maria Antónia had a remarkable generosity and a genuine care for others – her students, colleagues and the institutions she was part of. She also had a strong sense of responsibility and a very discreet way of working and contributing, never seeking attention or recognition.”
“She appreciated life’s simple pleasures, especially the time spent with the people she cared about. That joy and genuine concern for others were reflected in the way she lived and worked. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with Maria Antónia. I am certain that a part of her will remain with us, in our lives and in the way we work at INESC TEC,” Lia Patrício added, acknowledging this difficult moment.
António Almeida, who co-coordinated one of INESC TEC’s 12 research Centres alongside Maria Antónia, also remembers her with great affection.
“November 2024. I was going down in the lift at INESC TEC with Professor Maria Antónia, and we looked at each other, both trying to grasp the scale of the challenge the Board of Directors had just entrusted to us. I remember feeling, in that moment, that together we had what it took to lead the Centre.”
“Throughout 2025, we learned how to talk openly, build mutual trust, negotiate and reach consensus, even when we held different views. We learned how to work together to solve problems, even when they seemed difficult to overcome. Those were the foundations we needed to take on the new challenge of building and coordinating what would become SYSTEM (INESC TEC’s newest research Centre, created through the merger of two former Centres)”, he continued.
Although Maria Antónia’s physical presence became less frequent in recent months, António Almeida said she was never unavailable to listen, offer advice or provide words of support. “Without perhaps realising it, and because she was a woman of action and determination, she was helping me far more than she could ever have imagined.”
“I believe that all of us who had the privilege of working, directly or indirectly, with Professor Maria Antónia learned to face challenges with optimism, to bring the highest standards of professionalism and thoroughness to everything we do, never to settle for less than excellence and, at the same time, to understand that things do not always turn out as we hope. In those moments, she taught us to face adversity with serenity, to keep smiling and to remain resilient until the very end in pursuit of our goals. I hope these are the values we will inherit, preserve and pass on. Wherever you may be, good morning, Maria Antónia.”
A lifetime of excellence
Maria Antónia Carravilla was part of INESC TEC for almost 37 years. During that time, she worked as a researcher and held several leadership roles. She coordinated INESC TEC’s Centre for Industrial Engineering and Management (CEGI) and, more recently, the Institute’s newest research centre, SYSTEM, created through the merger of CEGI and the former Centre for Enterprise Systems Engineering (CESE). She contributed to numerous research projects, particularly in the fields of operations research, industrial engineering and management, logistics, and supply chain management. Reflecting on her career at INESC TEC, researcher José Fernando Oliveira highlighted that “Maria Antónia carried out pioneering work at INESC TEC in the field of production systems optimisation, which led to her PhD thesis – the first in this area at the Institute and the first to be based on a contract with a company, Growela”.
Maria Antónia Carravilla held a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Porto, as well as an MSc and a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP).
Alongside her work at INESC TEC, she was Full Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at FEUP, Director of FEUP’s Doctoral Programme in Industrial Engineering and Management, and Chair of the Faculty’s Representative Council. She also taught at Porto Business School.
“Maria Antónia was always a true agent of change, particularly in education, where she championed pedagogical innovation with great passion,” said José Fernando Oliveira, an INESC TEC researcher and FEUP academic. “She was a person of exceptional human qualities and unique leadership skills, but she was also an outstanding researcher,” concluded the lecturer at FEUP.
At FEUP, her leadership was also instrumental in overseeing the Faculty’s move from Rua dos Bragas to the Asprela Campus. “Maria Antónia was the driving force and the soul behind FEUP’s administrative modernisation, leading a cultural shift that gave the Faculty the agility, flexibility and efficiency that define a modern public administration. It was thanks to that energy and leadership that the relocation of the Faculty from Rua dos Bragas to the Asprela Campus became a reality,” recalled José Fernando Oliveira. The project was called Jupiter, and Maria Antónia was the leader. In 2026, FEUP marks the 25th anniversary of the move to the Asprela Campus, where INESC TEC’s headquarters are also located. If we are here today, we owe that, in no small part, to Maria Antónia.
Thank you for everything, Maria Antónia.
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