Catarina Fernandes
“Catarina joined INESC TEC precisely 10 years ago and has had a remarkable career at all levels. She started as the Centre’s secretary, but due to her commitment and competence, she quickly became responsible for the Centre’s financial management. For her attitude, professionalism and resourcefulness, Catarina is a reference not only at HASLab, but also at INESC TEC. Having Catarina as an advisor to the coordination, and knowing that she’s responsible for all financial and project management duties, allows the coordination to focus on the Centre’s strategy.”
– HASLab coordinators
Your career at INESC TEC spans a decade; how do you characterise your work at HASLab and INESC TEC?
After a decade, I must say that my work experience at HASLab has been quite positive. I’ve been part of an excellent work environment, with great collaboration between all co-workers. This was also clear at the coordination level – who, from early on, allowed me to learn and grow to the point of being entrusted with tasks of great responsibility, vital to the planning and control of the Centre’s activities. It was also an important milestone for my personal improvement within INESC TEC and all the institution’s Centres and Services.
Do you recall any specific moment, due to its importance or relevance – both professionally and personally?
One of the most important moments was the recognition of my commitment, dedication, and competence through my nomination as advisor to the Centre. This was an important milestone, and I’m grateful to dedicate my self to this “mission”, with great commitment and satisfaction.
How do you characterise HASLab’s evolution during this period? And how do you foresee the future – not only of HASLab, but also of the Institute?
The Centre has been improving every year. Not long ago, the team featured only grant holders and teachers. Today, we welcome a diversified team, with different roles and competences: teachers, PhD, R&D and structure employees, grant holders, etc. Our work has allowed us to improve our HR and take on new and greater responsibilities within INESC TEC, as well as with our partners. The next few years will focus on growth. We will reinforce our engagement and collaboration with other Centres, while continuing to consolidate our relationship with those we have worked closely with over the past few years.
Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I try to give my best every day, and I know that this is largely possible thanks to HASLab’s environment and dynamics. However, some of the best days are those when we receive the news of another accepted project or contract; they renew the sense of belonging and the willingness to fulfil our mission – while allowing a more “flexible” budget.
How do you comment on this nomination?
I was deeply touched and quite happy. I’d like to thank the Centre’s coordinators, Prof. António Sousa and Prof. Alcino Cunha. It’s a public recognition of my every day’s effort, commitment and confidence towards the Centre’s success and sustainability, as well as our position within INESC TEC. Thank you very much!
Ehsan Kazemi-Robati
“Ehsan carried out a significant amount of work during the first quarter of 2025; his contribution featured in three deliverables of the European project EU-SCORES, in which he served as the scientific coordinator for two of them. Ehsan also participated in the European project STOR-HY – with great dedication and commitment. At the same time, he successfully prepared and submitted an application for the FCT exploratory projects. His dedication, scientific thoroughness, and professional commitment have always been common aspects to all his work; even during periods of high workload, Ehsan remains calm and friendly, fostering a positive and supportive work environment around him.”
– CPES coordinators
You’re involved in the deliverables of the EU-SCORES project; could you tell us a little bit more about them, and what was the focus of your activities?
The EU-SCORES European project focuses on multi-source offshore parks combining wind, wave, and solar photovoltaic energy. Following last year’s work on energy management and sizing optimisation, our research team has been involved in deliverables on grid integration, electrical system design, and the comprehensive assessment of a new park, with my primary contributions being in the latter two.
Moreover, you joined the European project STOR-HY; what can you tell us about this endeavour (main goals, expected outcomes, differentiating factor, etc.)?
Accepted under the respective call for proposals in 2024, the STOR-HY project officially kicked off in October 2024. This project focuses on hydropower and pumped-storage units, emphasising their unique and crucial role in the energy transition era while addressing challenges to their effective use. Through extensive assessment of their capabilities and the development of control and management strategies, the project aims to extend the lifetime of these units and reduce asset degradation.
Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
At INESC TEC, it has always been a pleasure to be involved in research projects that advance knowledge in renewable energy, supported by constructive teamwork. Moreover, as an R&D institute, being surrounded by people passionate about scientific work in this field is truly inspiring. It is always rewarding to learn about the findings and contributions to knowledge at INESC TEC. Additionally, being in close contact with PhD and MSc students as they develop their research skills has been one of the most fulfilling experiences, allowing me to grow both as a team member and mentor.
How do you comment on this nomination?
It is an honour to be nominated, and I sincerely appreciate it. It was also heart-warming to hear the kind words acknowledging the work we have been doing as a team.
Humberto Rocha
“Humberto’s nomination stems from his contribution to the redesign and mechanical improvement of our robotic platforms. His commitment and technical excellence were decisive to present Modular-X at FIRA 2025, representing an important milestone for our team and for the evolution of our technologies.”
– CRIIS coordinators
You were involved in the work behind the presentation of Modular-X at FIRA 2025; could you tell us a little more about your duties?
I was responsible for leading the mechanical development of Modular-X, focusing on the structural strengthening of the platform and adaptation to demanding contexts. Although the concept of modularity had already been implemented in our well-known Modular-E robot, it was necessary to redesign the entire mechanical structure (maintaining the modular aspects and agility that characterise these robots, while improving the robustness needed to tackle more challenging environments, e.g., forest). This process also involved the introduction of new manufacturing and assembly solutions. All this work required close collaboration with people from different areas (control, perception, navigation, electronics, embedded systems, etc.) – because robotics works as a real “team game”!
Thinking about the different projects of your Centre, which one(s) would you like to highlight (in terms of impact, results, differentiating/innovative aspect, etc.)?
It is difficult to choose just one, because I am involved in projects that cover very different areas – from insects (InsectEra) to vineyards (Vine&Wine) and forests (Agenda Transform). But maybe the latter, due to the project’s dimension and challenges – more precisely, making robots operate in forest environments. It’s been quite rewarding to showcase the project’s possibilities and relevance.
Our work can have a significant impact on forest management and maintenance tasks. We know that these operations are a major challenge for producers and, when not carried out according to best practices, they devalue the forest and directly contribute to wildfires. In addition, this is also an opportunity to redefine the value chain, by favouring the use of new products that are still undervalued or simply ignored.
Finally, and as a mechanical engineer, participating in the development of autonomous machines to operate in these settings is simply a lot of fun!
Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
To get ideas moving – literally! In other words, to participate in/oversee the entire prototype development process – which, in our team, can range from the initial design to field tests (with higher TRLs and the opportunity to witness technologies coming to life and addressing real-world problems).
How do you comment on this nomination?
I’m very proud. Behind each platform, there are many “invisible” hours of iterations; sometimes solutions come during moments of greatest intensity, often when we take risks and aim to be innovative! Our robots may walk by themselves, but they don’t build themselves (yet); so, this nomination represents the joint efforts of a whole team. It’s great to know that our work is recognised.
Pedro Miguel Carvalho
“The CTM coordinators would like to nominate Pedro Carvalho for his amazing effort, professionalism, motivation and dedication over the last year, leading to the approval of the European project Agroboost. Despite the challenges associated with the execution of the PRRs and the European project that he currently coordinates, Pedro was able to focus on raising new funding – with Agroboost stemming from said efforts. In addition to the performance of said activities – which, by their complexity, already represent a challenge in themselves -, Pedro was able to implement collaboration strategies with other Centres – particularly in applications within the agricultural sector.” Agroboost is also a positive result of this cross-cutting strategy, with the participation of CRIIS in this project led by CTM.”
– CTM coordinators
You were involved in the process leading to the approval of the Agroboost project; could you tell us a little more about this project (main objectives, differentiating factor, activities, etc.)?
AGROBOOST is a multidisciplinary, pilot-oriented pilot project that aims to transform the agricultural sector into a more attractive, sustainable and efficient industry, combining advanced robotics, Augmented Reality, AI and automation. INESC TEC participates in the project as the leader of the pilot in Portugal, but also with a relevant role in the project. We focus on a multidisciplinary strategy through the collaboration between CTM and CRIIS (more specifically, in terms of Multimedia Communication Technologies, with the TRIBE Laboratory).
This project aims to combine computer vision, augmented reality and robotics in a unified way, not only to increase the efficiency of agricultural processes, but also to make the sector more attractive to young people and promote the inclusion of people with physical limitations. Despite being organised according to a pilot-oriented logic, the project also foresees the inclusion of visual information processing algorithms and augmented reality modules to unify the frameworks.
AGROBOOST stems from a previous collaborative work between CTM and CRIIS, framed and supported by the TEC4AGRO-FOOD initiative, but also from the recognition of the professionalism and quality of the work we have developed in the WATSON European project.
What were the main challenges associated with your activities?
The design of the project was quite challenging, especially due to the period for submission and ongoing project activities. This required a considerable effort, only possible due to the collaboration between the researchers of the two Centres involved and the support of the Services. It is vital to mention the work carried out by Filipe Santos, Tatiana Pinho and André Sá; without them, we wouldn’t be able to submit the project’s proposal.
Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
There are two key aspects I’d like to highlight: first, teamwork, with all the discussion, ideas and knowledge sharing; then the different application scenarios, allowing us to explore new contexts, problems, people and processes, which require different outlooks and new approaches.
How do you comment on this nomination?
I’m quite pleased. It’s good to know that people recognise my work, while showcasing the work we carry out at the Centre.
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