Fábia Pereira (HASLab)
“The HASLab coordinators would like to nominate Fábia Pereira for the work carried out since she joined the Centre, always with great responsibility, thoroughness, and availability. Her tasks go far beyond administrative needs (requests, travel arrangements, etc.), vital to the proper operation of HASLab – also extending to more practical matters that foster team cohesion and a spirit of union. Fábia demonstrates commendable dedication to HASLab on a daily basis, and her work is acknowledged by everyone working here.”
– HASLab coordinators
You work as administrative assistant at HASLab; could you provide a brief overview of your daily life? What tasks do you perform, the type of work involved, your connection with the members of HASLab, etc.?
Concerning the administrative duties, I perform several tasks daily: handling researchers’ travel arrangements, researching suppliers, and following up on processes for requesting computer equipment, components, and other elements essential to the smooth operation of the Centre. My work also includes a Human Resources element, as I manage the HASLab calls and, at a later stage, welcome new collaborators. Regarding day-to-day operations, there are also other unplanned tasks (some difficult to anticipate), which make my work more enjoyable and surprising.
What are the main challenges you face during your activities?
The unpredictability, as at the beginning of each day, it’s challenging to predict all the challenges or issues that will be presented to me. However, I always count on the availability and goodwill of all INESC TEC members, even though HASLab is located at the University of Minho, to overcome difficulties – without the distance ever being a problem.
Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I would start by highlighting the good atmosphere we have at HASLab, as we all work towards a common goal, and even during the whirlwind of tasks each of us has, we can always help each other. Moreover, I like the fact that every day brings new things to do and learn.
How do you comment on this nomination?
With a huge ‘thank you’ to the HASLab coordinators. I would also like to express my gratitude, especially to my colleague Catarina Fernandes, vital to my integration into INESC TEC and in all the dynamics inherent to our work. 2023 marks my first year at INESC TEC, and I feel that these constant challenges have allowed me to evolve as a person and a professional. It’s great to realize that my work is also valued and acknowledged.
Flávia Ferreira (CRIIS)
“Flávia is incredible in supporting all kinds of tasks, always with great enthusiasm and professionalism. She is always available to provide extra support during busy periods. Despite the massive number of requests, due to the many components and consumables that CRIIS acquires, she never complains and manages to address things very quickly, proactively overcoming problems. Her participation in CRIIS Coordination Council meetings is crucial, actively contributing with ideas and proposing solutions to various issues”.
– CRIIS coordinators
You work as CRIIS Executive Assistant; can you give us a brief description of your day-to-day at the institution? Main tasks, type of work performed, relationships with members of the Centre, etc.?
Besides working as Executive Assistant, I also manage the Secretariat at iiLab. My day-to-day is quite busy and hectic, but despite always having a lot of work, I really enjoy what I do, trying to solve problems fast and help whenever I can. The CRIIS team has been growing, and the work follows this evolution; so, in addition to many requests and travel arrangements, I perform a wide variety of tasks that pretty much take all my working hours – sometimes, a few extra-hours. I participate in meetings of the iiLab Executive Committee and CRIIS Coordination, allowing me to perform more specific tasks than just the day-to-day duties of an Assistant. I also have an active and very positive relationship with all members of CRIIS, even those outside Porto, to whom I try to provide as much support as possible.
What are the main challenges you face while performing your duties?
Trying to address all requests that come my way and helping to solve problems as quickly as possible.
Your connection to INESC TEC began in 1994 – how do you characterise these (almost) three decades at the institution? Any milestone you consider important? What are your plans?
That’s true: I’m almost completing a 30-year journey at INESC TEC, and I can only be thankful for being part of this history. Throughout this path, there were some moments and people who left a mark, in various ways; however, all these moments were important for my personal and professional growth. My plans involve being part of CRIIS, a Centre that welcomed me in the best possible way, with leaders who recognise my work and deserve all my respect and consideration. I’m very grateful to be part of the CRIIS family.
Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I like everything in general: the work itself, the people, the socialising, the good days, and the not-so-good ones – which help us improve and learn how to deal with all types of situations. Everything is part of it, and everything is important.
How do you comment on this nomination?
In 2013, I was invited to join ROBIS (the first name of the Robotics Centre – at that time, CRIIS and CRAS together), and I was nominated to the “Fora de Série” – a way to acknowledge my work. This is my second nomination, and I perceive it as a validation of said recognition, which makes me very happy and motivates to continue this journey. I am very grateful indeed.
Romão Santos (CESE)
“This nomination stems from Romão’s professionalism, motivation, quality, and coordination skills in the field of Operations Management and Decision Support Systems, which he has been developing at CESE. The result of this excellent work was the acceptance of an international service proposal in the U.S.A. In recent years, Romão has played a central role in the design of production systems using simulation tools. As the coordinator of the Operations Management and Decision Support team, he has shown exceptional ability in recruiting and managing excellent professionals. The coordination of CESE thanks Romão for all his contributions, which are of great importance to the national and international position of INESC TEC.”
– CESE coordinators
Could you describe your day-to-day as a researcher at CESE: main tasks, current exploration topics, your connection to CESE, etc.?
My connection to CESE began in 2018, during my master’s thesis; I addressed production sequencing problems using Machine Learning and Simulation techniques. I explored the NeuroEvolution algorithm, a combination of Genetic Algorithms with Neural Networks. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to participate in national and international projects in various industries, including footwear, automotive, aerospace, and metalworking.
Currently, I lead the Operations Management and Decision Support team at CESE, where we deal with a variety of challenges associated with industrial and logistical processes. We explored areas like production line balancing, factory layout optimisation, resource allocation, logistics fleet sizing, supply chain management, and production planning and scheduling. In terms of methodology, we have been using simulation, mainly discrete event simulation, and optimisation, employing exact and approximate methods. Recently, we have also started exploring the hybridisation of new machine learning approaches and optimisation to find innovative solutions to complex industry problems.
In my day-to-day activities, in addition to team management, development, and research responsibilities, I also play an active role in iiLab; I usually contribute to design demonstrators related to the concept of the ‘factory of the future,’ highlighting how emerging technologies can increase efficiency, visibility, and responsiveness to unexpected events in production and logistics processes.
What are the main challenges you face as coordinator of the Operations Management and Decision Support area?
As the coordinator this team, one of the challenges is managing a diverse team, composed of people with different profiles, e.g., teaching staff, students, and integrated professionals. This diversity, while enriching, brings specific challenges. In this case, managing people with different experiences and perspectives requires a flexible and adaptive approach, understanding the different needs and expectations. Thus, the challenge also lies in developing strategies that promote an inclusive environment, allowing the expression and appreciation of the different skills and knowledge present in the team. Another significant challenge is promoting effective communication among team members, considering different forms of interaction and everyone’s preferences.
Due to your work, you managed to secure a service proposal in the U.S.A. – could you give us more details about this initiative?
This is another result of the collaboration between the Centre for Enterprise Systems Engineering (CESE) and the Centre for Robotics in Industry and Intelligent Systems (CRIIS). In this case, the contact came through the coordinator of CRIIS, Germano Veiga, who identified a potential opportunity in the simulation area, bridging the gap with the company. After the initial contact, I had the opportunity to carry out a presentation on our experience in this area, accumulated over several years in national and international projects. Subsequently, based on CRIIS’ experience in specifying innovative solutions for autonomous vehicles in the industry, we decided to submit a joint formal proposal (CESE-CRIIS), which was promptly accepted by the company. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the proposal and especially my colleagues at CRIIS, who provided excellent conditions for its success, once again strengthening the importance of this type of collaboration.
Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
What captivates me most about my work is the opportunity to deal with ‘applied research,’ exploring innovative approaches to real industry problems. In this case, combining theory and practice is one of the reasons that keeps me motivated; it’s gratifying to follow the evolution of an idea until its actual implementation. Particularly, working on the development of simulation models is quite rewarding since it allows me to create virtual models with an increasingly relevant role in decision-making. Finally, being part of a constantly collaborative environment at CESE, with a team featuring fantastic, intelligent, and competent people significantly contributes to my job satisfaction.
How do you comment on this nomination?
Firstly, I would like to thank the coordinators of CESE, particularly for the work opportunities they’ve provided, as well as for the freedom to make decisions regarding future developments in our area. Additionally, I would like to thank our team for their effort, the work done, and the motivation they convey to me every day. Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues at CESE for their support and the good working atmosphere.
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