The Department of Informatics Engineering (DEI) had a strong and highly participative presence at SPE 2026 – Semana Profissão Engenharia, which took place from March 24 to 26 at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP).
Over the three days of SPE, DEI delivered a total of 50 activities, each lasting 30 minutes, involving a large number of students, faculty members, and visitors. Forty of these activities were integrated into two tracks exclusively dedicated to Informatics, allowing for direct and in‑depth contact with different areas of Informatics Engineering. The remaining ten activities were part of two “Future Society” tracks, developed in collaboration with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (DEEC) and other research institutes, promoting an interdisciplinary approach to emerging technological challenges.
DEI’s activities were offered in a variety of formats, including mini‑workshops, demonstrations of projects developed within curricular units, and presentations delivered by student groups and research teams. In the mini‑workshops, participants had the opportunity to engage in hands‑on activities such as Python programming and programming with micro:bits, in an interactive and accessible environment.
Several DEI curricular units were represented in this edition, showcasing the work developed across different study cycles. From the 2nd year of the Bachelor’s Degree in Informatics and Computing Engineering (L.EIC), the curricular units Computational Logic (LC) and Software Technologies Development Laboratories (LDTS) took part. From the 3rd year of L.EIC, the units Web Application Bases Laboratories (LBAW), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Computer Graphics (CG) were represented. From the 1st year of the Master’s Degree in Informatics and Computing Engineering (M.EIC), the curricular unit Information Management Systems (SGI) participated.
The program also included demonstrations of DEI’s participation in the Bosch Future Mobility Challenge(BFMC), an international competition in the field of autonomous driving, highlighting the department’s involvement in projects with a strong practical, technological, and industry‑focused component.
In parallel, several student groups contributed with their own presentations, namely ACM FEUP, ARMIS.LAB, xSTF, NCGM, and IEEE UP Student Branch, reinforcing the central role of students in promoting the degree programs and research areas in Informatics.
In total, DEI’s participation involved more than 60 students, whose contribution was essential to the success of the activities and to interaction with secondary school students attending the event.
The organization of DEI’s participation was coordinated by DEI faculty members Carla Gonçalves, José Campos, Ricardo Cruz, and Thiago Silva, ensuring a well‑structured, diverse, and representative presence of the department throughout the event.
With this participation, DEI reinforced its commitment to the dissemination of Informatics Engineering, engagement with society, and the promotion of education, research, and innovation among future engineers.