CIE researchers participate in an innovation workshop at MIT, in Cambridge, USA
Researchers Jade Müller and Carlos Hernandez, from the Center for Industrial Ecology (CIE), participated in the "2024 MIT Portugal Innovation Workshop", which took place between the 3rd and 7th of June at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in Cambridge, United States of America. The researchers were selected for a scholarship from the MIT Portugal program, which allowed them to travel to Cambridge to learn at one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the world.
During the workshop, Jade Müller and Carlos Hernandez developed projects focused on the areas of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Ecodesign, central areas of their research at CIE. Doctoral candidates explored ways to transform these areas of study into viable commercial solutions. Throughout the week, they had the opportunity to interact with experts from MIT and industry, acquiring essential skills in the areas of Assessing the Commercial Potential of Ideas, Selecting the Initial Target Market, Minimizing Risks in Product/Market Fit, Identifying Partners and Co-founders, and Defining the Next Steps for the Development of their projects.
One of the highlights was the reception by the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation of Portugal, Fernando Alexandre, also a former student at the University of Coimbra. The researchers attended a panel at the MIT Sloan School of Management, which included the participation of Minister Alexandre and Dava Newman, from the MIT Media Lab and former deputy administrator of NASA. During the event, the Minister shared his vision for the future of higher education in Portugal, highlighting the importance of partnerships between academia and industry.
This experience provided a unique opportunity for the doctoral students, who returned with new perspectives on how to transform their research into viable business solutions, reinforcing the link between academic research and innovation, especially in the field of sustainability.
