Mário Amorim Lopes

🚨 Science at a Crossroads in Portugal? - Opinion of Mario Figueiredo Público recently invited politicians, intellectuals, and academics to reflect on the government’s proposal to merge the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) with the National Innovation Agency (ANI). The responses collected reveal a common concern: the haste of the decision, taken without consulting an independent advisory body or listening to the scientific community. The project (still lacking clarity) seems to prioritize innovation, while sidelining fundamental research and giving precedence to the hard sciences over the social sciences and humanities. Among those interviewed, Mário Figueiredo, our senior researcher and Full Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, warned of the risks of subordinating science to innovation: “Subordinating science to innovation condemns the future and dries up the source of disruptive knowledge. Technological progress without a deep understanding of the human condition is an intolerable risk. The social sciences and the humanities are essential pillars of developed societies: they provide critical tools to face the ethical, social, and cultural dilemmas posed by technology.” He also recalled the words of leading tech figures: Mark Zuckerberg: “The success of Facebook is as much about psychology and sociology as it is about technology.” Steve Jobs: “Technology alone is not enough; it is technology married with the liberal arts and humanities that yields results that delight us.” From Brian Chesky (Airbnb, Industrial Design) to Whitney Wolfe Herd (Bumble, International Studies), Stewart Butterfield (Slack, Philosophy), and even the non-linear paths of Zuckerberg (Psychology + CS) and Bill Gates (Law), the lesson is clear: innovation thrives when nourished by diverse fields of knowledge. 👉 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/dFHQ-_Pt #Press #Article #FCT #ANI #Science #Tecnology #Innovation #Opinion

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On Monday, Mario Draghi sounded the alarm once again: Europe’s future role in the world depends on innovation, yet the pace of reform is far too slow. Only ~10% of the measures identified last year have actually been implemented. It is about this wake up call for Europe and Portugal that I shared my reflections in an article in Expresso: 🔹 Europe has a major gap to the US: fewer than 25% of unicorns, and fewer than a third of patent filings. 🔹 Fragmented markets and excessive bureaucracy push talent and private capital away, limiting our ability to generate and retain innovation. 🔹 Europe, and Portugal, need ambitious structural change — fewer barriers, a true single innovation market, and incentives to private funding. At Unicorn Factory Lisboa, we have been taking strong actions: helping scaleups grow internationally, connecting international ecosystems, and building communities around future-critical technologies, like AI. European institutions and national governments need to commit to real change urgently. The proposed 28th regime is the first step, as advocated by many innovation leaders, including Simon Schaefer, Ricardo Marvão 🇵🇹🇫🇷 and Roxanne VARZA, who posted recently about this. 👉 You can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/db5yYzQg #Innovation #Europe #Startups #Scaleups #PublicPolicy #Tech #EU #UnicornFactoryLisboa

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Leiria-based BRAINR, a Portuguese provider of modern factory management software, has secured €11 million in seed funding, led by C2 Capital Partners. BRAINR is an AI-driven, cloud-native MES/MOM platform tailored for the food and beverage industry. Paulo Gaspar | Ricardo Granada | 🔗 Read full article link in comment #SmartManufacturing #FoodTech #MES #AIpowered #FactoryEfficiency #Traceability #FoodSafety #DigitalTransformation #BRAINR #Funding #eustartups #news

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FMUSP was featured in two major international events on artificial intelligence and higher education: the Higher Education Leader Series at Google's headquarters in New York and the MIT AI & Education Summit in Cambridge. Represented by Dr. Matheus Torsani and Prof. Dr. Iolanda Tibério, the Faculty shared its initiatives in applying AI to medical education, alongside leaders from institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and NYU. The events reinforced FMUSP's commitment to innovation, ethical use of educational technologies, and fostering global connections with centers of excellence. For more information, visit the full article on our website!

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🌍 Rethinking Mobility with Data   In an interview with Revista Sustentável, Professor Fernando Bação, Full Professor at NOVA IMS, shared how the ENHANCE Project is bringing the 15-minute city concept to suburban areas and smaller cities. Working with partners from the UK and the Netherlands, the project leverages data and AI to map mobility patterns, identify accessibility gaps, and simulate future scenarios. The goal is clear: reduce car dependency, strengthen public transport, and build more sustainable, inclusive, and connected communities. At NOVA IMS, projects like this show how data can drive meaningful change and contribute to a better future with real impact on society.   👉 Read the full interview in Revista Sustentável [ https://lnkd.in/d-9yJWGH ] 👉 Learn more about the project: [ https://lnkd.in/dfSbDRwf ]   #NOVAIMS #ENHANCEProject #SustainableMobility #15MinuteCity

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A bit more than 50% of Europeans read at least one book in the past 12 months, according to Eurostat.* This week, I had the pleasure of participating in the third Book 2.0 Apel conference, organised in Lisbon, by the Associação Portuguesa de Editores e Livreiros (APEL) - a very active member of the Federation of European Publishers/Fédération des éditeurs européens. It was inspiring to join policymakers, publishers, authors, educators, researchers – and book lovers! - coming together to discuss #TheFutureOfReading. The President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa brought his passion for books centre stage when he depicted them as much more than that: an opening to pluralism, to freedom, to democracy, enriching the capacity to understand others in an irrational world. Some of my takeaways from this vibrant event: 📖 Literacy is existential. It equips citizens with critical thinking skills, resilience – even happiness! - and civic responsibility. 🌐 Digital and AI, used and framed right, can offer precious support to readers and writers. Technology can transform how books are created, shared, and enjoyed. Ensuring access and inclusivity remains essential, and human-centric AI can be a powerful ally, a gateway to collective intelligence. 🤝 Choice and personalisation matter – Choosing what we read shapes who we are. We must allow especially young people, to make their own reading choices, spark their curiosity and give them the desire and motivation to read. All of this is central to the European Commission’s work. Literacy is a basic skill under pressure, having declined over the last 10 years, alongside math, science and even digital basic skills. This is why speeding up action to defuse this ticking bomb is central for the #UnionOfSkills initiative led by Executive Vice-President Roxana Minzatu. As one of 18 concrete steps in our Basic Skills Action Plan, an EU Literacy Coalition will launch in 2026, bringing together schools, publishers, libraries, and governments to boost literacy and inspire young people to read. An EU Teachers and Trainers Agenda will support educators, recognising their key role in cultivating a culture of reading and healthy digital habits. Through our #CreativeEurope programme, the EU promotes the production and dissemination of books in multiple languages, connecting generations and fostering cultural diversity. The European Union Prize for Literature and the European Authors Day contribute to a richer European literature offer across Europe and beyond. Looking ahead, a strengthened Erasmus+ programme, the future Culture Compass and the AgoraEU programme will help turn the tide on literacy - to make books and reading cool again! Learn more about how the EU supports books, reading and literacy: 👉https://europa.eu/!XcgxjT 👉https://lnkd.in/e8rjMErP *based on Eurostat data from 2022 Photo credits (8/9): @APEL🙏

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