The DCE – Doctoral Congress in Engineering, is back for its sixth edition, showcasing hundreds of research projects currently underway in various doctoral programmes at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP).
Taking place on 30 June and 1 July, the event will offer a rich and diverse programme including keynote lectures, roundtable discussions, an exhibition and poster session, workshops, symposiums for all doctoral programmes, an awards ceremony, and various social events for participants. There will also be 34 company stands showcasing and promoting innovation and seeking to attract talent over the two days.
In this context, the Symposium in Informatics will be held on Tuesday morning, under the theme ‘Leading the Digital Transformation‘, and is organised by PhD students from the PhD Programmes in Informatics Engineering (PRODEI), Digital Media (PDMD) and Computer Science (MAP.i).
Following presentations of ongoing projects from the three programmes, the symposium will conclude with a lecture titled ‘Crowds and Graphics: Beyond Animation and Visual Effects‘, presented by Julien Pettré, a senior researcher at the Inria Centre at Rennes University.
One of the initiatives introduced in this year’s DCE edition is the ‘Venture Scientists‘ programme, which gives pre-selected doctoral students the chance to present an innovative research proposal in just five minutes. Presentations should focus on a product, process or service derived from the students’ research, highlighting its innovative potential and the corresponding implementation plan.
Seven proposals developed at FEUP will be in competition in this edition, to be evaluated by a panel of judges with extensive experience in academia and business: Wilson Caldeira (Visiting Professor at FEUP), Carrie Baptist (Chief Strategy Officer at Conception X), Raphael Stanzani (Head of Entrepreneurship Programmes at UPTEC), Bruno Azevedo (CEO of AddVolt) and Júlio Martins (CEO of Everythink).
We highlight the “BodyBoost” proposal by ProDEI student Ana Sofia Teixeira, who is currently in her second year of the PhD programme. The project involves developing a smart, discreet wearable device designed to be worn on the lower back. It continuously monitors posture and movements, silently identifying any bad posture habits. When necessary, it emits a slight vibration to stimulate quick and natural correction without interfering with the ongoing activity.
DCE25 has established itself as a platform of excellence for knowledge sharing, dialogue between different areas of knowledge and the promotion of synergies between research, innovation and society. It represents the scientific dynamics of FEUP and highlights the growing international profile of Portuguese engineering.