On November 12th, students from the Department of Civil Engineering had the opportunity to visit the Railway Operational Command Center (CCO) of Infraestruturas de Portugal, S.A. (IP), in Braço de Prata. The visit, accompanied by professor Luísa Teles Fortes (DEC/ISEL), provided students who are currently studying curricular units in the Communication Routes area of ​​the Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Civil Engineering, with a global view of the model implemented by IP in terms of Railway Traffic Management and Control, including processing and processing of information in real time. This multidisciplinary center of excellence, equipped with the most modern support systems for railway operations, commands, controls and manages railway circulation in its area of ​​coverage, covering a total of 1,200 km. The ISEL group was received by one of those responsible for the Center, Dr. João Bento, providing a great opportunity to watch the operation of a unit of this kind.     Imagem capa: Infraestruturas de Portugal 

Professor Elisabete Alegria (DEQ/ISEL) is co-author of an article recently published in the magazine Catalysis Science & Technology, where she was featured on the cover of the issue. The work entitled “Bioinspired copper-catalysed nitrous oxide reduction with simultaneous N–H or O–H bond oxidation” addresses the use of biomimetic copper catalysts in the reduction of nitrous oxide (N₂O), accompanied by the oxidation of N–H or O bonds –H. This study proposes an approach that uses affordable catalysts to promote relevant chemical reactions efficiently, contributing to the recovery of industrial waste and the mitigation of greenhouse gases.  

On November 21, 2024, as part of the celebration of World Philosophy Day, Mem Martins Secondary School held a lecture dedicated to the intersection between Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence. The event, led by Professor Pedro Santa Rosa, brought together around 60 secondary school students and teachers from different areas. The lecture featured a speech by Professor Pedro Santa Rosa entitled "Threshold: Technique and Post-Humanism - Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence", followed by a presentation by Professor Nuno Datia (DEETC/ISEL), entitled "Artificial Intelligence: fascination or threat?". Participants had the opportunity to explore critical perspectives on the impact of artificial intelligence on contemporary society, reflecting on the ethical and philosophical challenges of this emerging technology.   Imagem: Nuna Datia    

Manuel Santos, ISEL student, and Frederico Cerqueira, ISEL student, both from the Degree in Informatics and Computer Engineering, form the duo that created BinBot, the project developed within the scope of the Entrepreneurship curricular unit and which will represent Portugal in the World Final from Red Bull Basement. The idea that won the 6th edition of the competition was born from the identification of the problem related to the lack of efficient waste collection systems, which makes cleaning and maintenance operations in public spaces a huge challenge. This is how BinBot was born, an autonomous urban cleaning robot that will revolutionize the cleaning of external spaces. Powered by solar energy, with cameras, AI and adaptive wheels to overcome obstacles, BinBot automatically detects and vacuums up trash. The internal pressing system optimizes storage, also featuring smoke detectors and an anti-theft system that guarantee safety and effectiveness. The project, supported by a complete Business Plan, was selected among many national applications and will represent Portugal in the Red Bull Basement world final, which takes place in Tokyo, Japan, between the 2nd and 5th of December 2024, and which this year counts with more than 40 countries on 5 continents. Image: © João Ferreira More news: https://www.redbull.com/pt-pt/vencedores-red-bull-basement-portugal-2024 https://www.empreendedor.com/binbot-representa-portugal-na-final-mundial-do-red-bull-basement-2024/   https://www.record.pt/modalidades/desportos-radicais/detalhe/red-bull-basement-robot-binbot-e-a-aposta-de-portugal-para-a-final-mundial https://www.ammagazine.pt/noticias-ambiente/84022-toquio-e-o-destino-da-final-do-red-bull-basement-portugal-aposta-na-higiene-urbana

As part of the Curricular Unit of Construction Materials Technology I, integrated into the Degree in Civil Engineering (LEC), ISEL students carried out a technical visit to the Obra dos Peixinhos carried out by the company NVE Engenharia e Construção. The visit to the buildings of the Obra dos Peixinhos Phase 1/2 condominium, located in the Graça neighborhood, in Lisbon, took place on November 13th and was accompanied by professor Maria Idália Gomes (DEC/ISEL). The visit guidance was led by engineers Luís Correia and Luana Dantas and André, alumni of LEC.

As part of the Chemical and Biological Reactors discipline, part of the Degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering (LEQB) course, ISEL students participated in a visit to the facilities of the company Synthomer. The main objective of this visit was to provide students with direct contact with the production process and operation of the manufacturing unit. The activity included a classroom presentation on the production process, followed by a guided tour of Synthomer's manufacturing facilities and laboratories. The visit to the factory took place on October 8, 2024, and the students were accompanied by professor JJaime Puna (DEQ/ISEL), José Palmeira (DEQ/ISEL), Luís Minhalma (DEQ/ISEL) and Ana Sofia Figueiredo (DEQ/ISEL).