The Sines and Algarve Ports Administration (APS) has, since March 10, had a new Board of Directors, composed of professor Jaime Puna (DEQ/ISEL) and Fernanda Nunes as executive members supporting the newly appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors Pedro do Ó Ramos. The new executive faces important challenges linked to the energy transition and environmental sustainability, while continuing the strategy of innovation and digitalization. With this new management, APS reinforces its commitment to expanding its presence in the international shipping market, remaining at the service of the port, logistics and industrial community of the ports of Sines and the Algarve. The new Board of Directors also highlights its commitment to supporting Iberian importers and exporters, thus contributing to the growth of the national economy. APS text and image  

ISEL opened yesterday, March 13, the new study room "ESPAÇO SOCICARRIL", open 24 hours a day, offering all higher education students a modern and functional space to support their studies. The new infrastructure, located on the ground floor of building P, has a lounge area and an area equipped with vending machines, providing greater comfort to users. With approximately 300m² of area and capacity for 84 spaces in the internal area, the "ESPAÇO SOCICARRIL" was designed to meet the needs of students, promoting an environment suitable for studying and academic interaction. The construction of this new space was financed by ISEL, also with the support of benefactors Engineer Arménio Costa and Engineer Brito dos Santos, from the company Socicarril Lda. This initiative arises in response to student requests, reinforcing the institution's commitment to creating adequate conditions for the academic success of its community. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the President of ISEL, Professor José Nascimento, as well as Engineer Armênio Costa and Engineer Brito dos Santos. Also present were the President of the Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon (IPL), Professor António Belo, and the members of the Permanent Council, who met for the first time at ISEL under the presidency of Professor António Belo. With the inauguration of "ESPAÇO SOCICARRIL", ISEL reaffirms its mission to support students, offering better conditions for their academic and personal development.      

On March 6, 2025, the cornerstone laying ceremony for the ISEL Carbono Zero Residence was held. This new project, located on the north campus of the Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa (ISEL), will provide 230 beds for students, professors and researchers, having been designed from the outset with a strong commitment to environmental and social sustainability. Funding is provided by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) under the Affordable Student Accommodation Programme. The event was attended by several institutional entities, including the President of ISEL, Professor José Nascimento, the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Engineer Miguel Pinto Luz, the President of the Polytechnic of Lisbon, Professor António Belo, the architect responsible for the project, Miguel Correia, from Future Architecture Thinking, and Engineer Carlos Batista, from the company Tecnorém, in charge of the construction of the residence. In his speech, the President of ISEL highlighted the long journey that preceded the start of this work, recalling that the project arose from the need to guarantee better accommodation conditions for displaced students, allowing them to continue their studies successfully. “This project represents a commitment from ISEL to its students and society. We want to ensure that no one stops studying due to lack of conditions and, at the same time, we want to do this in an innovative and sustainable way. Engineering has the responsibility of finding solutions to the challenges of our time, and this building is an example of that,” he said. The President of the Polytechnic of Lisbon, in turn, highlighted the importance of this project in responding to the shortage of student accommodation, as well as in fulfilling the sustainability commitments assumed by ISEL and IPL: "Accommodation is today one of the main challenges of higher education and, at the same time, this initiative reinforces IPL's social responsibility by moving forward with a sustainable building, aligned with environmental concerns". Minister Miguel Pinto Luz highlighted the crucial role of PRR funds in responding to student accommodation needs and included the ISEL Carbono Zero Residence in the "Building Portugal" program. He also congratulated the ambition of the project and assured government support in its development: "This investment of almost 9 million euros represents an ambitious challenge, but we believe it will be carried out within the expected timeframe." Architect Miguel Correia and engineer Carlos Batista highlighted the innovation and sustainability of the project, which will use modular construction techniques with prefabricated elements, allowing a demanding execution schedule to be met. After this moment, which took place in the main hall of ISEL, the delegation headed to the location where the building will be built. To symbolically mark the beginning of construction, a time capsule containing a message signed by the President of ISEL and the Minister of Infrastructure, photographs of the future residence and the current campus, a commemorative medal and plans of the project and the current campus were deposited at the site. Flickr photos from the Lançamento da 1ª pedra da construção da residência ISEL Carbono Zero album. Ver no flickr          

Professor João Gomes (DEQ/ISEL) was awarded the title EUR-ING (European Engineer, Ingénieur Européen, European Engineer, Europa-Ingenieur) by Engineers Europe – the European Federation of National Associations of Engineers, which brings together 33 countries in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). With a vast scientific and international curriculum, PhD (1999) and Aggregation (2010) in Chemical Engineering from IST, PDE – Business Management Program, AESE, 2001-2010. Advisory Member of the Order of Engineers; Member of the College of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Order of Engineers; Energy Specialist, Order of Engineers. Distinction by the Royal Society of Chemistry, he is included in the ``Outstanding Peer Reviews´´ 2023 list. Author of more than 300 scientific articles and responsible for numerous national and international R&D projects. Prof. Coordinator with Aggregation, Chemical Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior de Engª Lisboa, since 2006. Researcher integrated in the FCT unit: CERENA, Center for Natural Resources and Environment/Instituto Superior Técnico/University of Lisbon. Vice-president of ISEL in the scientific and internationalization area. Scientific research in the areas of: Chemical Technology, Chemical Engineering Processes, Clean Processes and Technologies; Energy, Biofuels, Air Quality, Gas Effluent Treatment, Nanoparticles, Nanotoxicology.

On 5 and 10 February, ISEL received a visit from a group of students and teachers from two vocational schools in the Agios Athanasios region of Greece, as part of the ERASMUS+ programme. The initiative brought together 55 students and 10 teachers and national coordinators, as part of the project "HEALTH WASTE – A SUSTAINABLE EUROPEAN APPROACH", which aims to promote a sustainable approach to healthcare waste management and provide an innovative educational experience. During their stay, participants had the opportunity to learn about ISEL's work in the area of ​​Biomedical Engineering and explore emerging themes such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), reinforcing the link between technology and sustainability. This visit was part of the Professional Training KA1 – Erasmus+ programme, which aims to promote the sharing of knowledge and good practices between educational institutions in different European countries.  

On February 4, 2025, ISEL held the 3rd edition of the SolidWorks Professional Certification – CSWP. The session, led by professors Ricardo Portal (DEM/ISEL) and João Milho (DEM/ISEL), was attended by 27 students with CSWA certification and lasted 3h20 (more info). Of the 25 students who took the CSWP exam, 22 passed, with 9 students achieving a score above 80%. This certification was made possible by Ibernova (formerly Sqédio), the official representative of SolidWorks, through the Exam Opportunities granted by the ISEL Certification Provider, Ricardo Portal. The certificates are available at the 3DEXPERIENCE® Certification Center, placing these students among the few in the country to obtain this qualification, reinforcing the recognition of ISEL and DEM in the area of ​​Mechanical Engineering. Since 2020, 97 ISEL Mechanical Engineering BSc students have obtained their CSWP (matching the 261 students who hold the CSWA). Students who passed the certification exam: Bruno Luz, Derek Ryan, Diogo Coelho, Diogo Costa,Diogo Pereira, Duarte Nogueira, Guilherme Costa, José Pereira, João Sebastião, Lucas Almeida, Manuel Reis, Martim Pedro, Miguel Aidos, Miguel Carvalho, Muhammad Fernandez, Pedro MendesRicardo Gracioso, Rodrigo Almeida, Tiago Carvalho, Tiago Oliveira, Tiago Pinto e Vitor Sousa..   Images: Professor Ricardo Portal