Where are you now?

Every month INESC TEC sends highly qualified individuals into the market. These individuals often then go on to occupy important positions in some of the best national and international companies or they opt to form spin-offs. As the best way to perform technology transfer is through individuals, this section is dedicated to collaborators that trained at INESC TEC and now star in other companies and institutions.

Paula Gomes, SOANE SGPS, IT Project Manager @ IT Strategy

• Year when you began working at INESC TEC and when you left: 2007-2010; 2011 - 2014
• Centres at INESC TEC where you worked: CESE (Consulting area)
• Name(s) of project(s) you were involved in: Not applicable

Explain your experience since leaving INESC TEC

I left INESC TEC in 2014 to embrace a wonderful challenge in the retail world.
I am part of BIT (Business Information Technology), the unit responsible for information systems supporting the Corporate Centre (main structure) and the retail businesses at Sonae group.

My team – IT Strategy – is responsible for devising, defining and implementing the information systems strategy, always fully aligned with the business strategy.

My experience at INESC TEC contributed greatly to what I am professional and personally. The fact that I have worked with different sectors and business areas, as well as different methodologies and tools, has given me a diverse experience.

Because INESC TEC is a dynamic institution, I believe some things must have changed for the better. I am sure, however, that some things are still the same as when I was there. By the way, I would like to take to send my regards to my former colleagues. Because the best of INESC TEC is still the same: its people.

Maria Almeida, Blip – Web Engineer, Product owner

• Year when you began working at INESC TEC and when you left: 2011- 2014
• Centres at INESC TEC where you worked: CESE
• Name(s) of project(s) you were involved in: Produtech (several subprojects), OPM3

Explain your experience since leaving INESC TEC

For me, INESC TEC was a launching pad for my professional path and  has inevitably shaped the way I work and interact with my colleagues, and the way I face different situations on a daily basis.

I have left  INESC TEC after two and a half years, having worked in different areas, from the definition of requirements in entrepreneurial projects, project management, and research. When I left I was looking for a new challenge where I could specialise in a different area. That is when I started working as Agile Product Owner at Blip, a Web development company that creates high performance web and mobile products with high performance, efficiency and user experience requirements.

The experience I have gained at INESC TEC has taught me how to deal with people from different hierarchies, business areas and nationalities (whether they are designers, web analysts, architects, developers, delivery managers, etc.), as well as to anticipate unplanned events. Because INESC TEC has a relaxed environment that combines both research and business aspects, I matured as a person and as a professional, and developed my critical thinking, without being afraid of asking certain questions and finding solutions and answers to existing challenges.I think that INESC TEC has become an important player for the small and medium enterprises that strive to become more innovative and competitive. For that, INESC TEC has embraced areas that are fundamental to the growth of Portuguese companies in an economy that so badly needs innovation, creativity and competitiveness. I hope INESC TEC continues on the path to success, taking to the market young and specialised human resources prepared to face new challenges, similarly to what happened with me!

Filipa Ramalho, vortal, Functional Analyst

• Year when you began working at INESC TEC and when you left: 2008-2014
• Centres at INESC TEC where you worked: CESE
• Name(s) of project(s) you were involved in: Various

Explain your experience since leaving INESC TEC

After five years working at INESC TEC, in 2014 it was the time to embrace a new professional challenge at Vortal. VORTAL is a Portuguese IT company with over 13 years of experience that develops electronic platforms for  public procurement and companies.

At Vortal I am part of one of the Product Engineering teams. This means that we receive and analyse business requirements and their functional specification, and we also map the business requirements with the platform’s architecture. We work closely with the Development and Quality Assurance teams.

My experience at INESC TEC contributed immensely to the professional I am today. At INESC TEC, I designed and applied methodologies and tools in Consulting, which gave me a solid experience that was fundamental for my work at Vortal. At INESC TEC, I also participated in different business process reengineering process and requirement specifications, which allowed me to easily adapt to my new position at Vortal.

I follow INESC TEC’s progress mainly by reading the news on INESC TEC, especially in BIP, and I also keep in touch with some of my former colleagues.
It is with great satisfaction that INESC TEC’s visibility in the media and social networks has increased. This is proof that there has been an evolution in INESC TEC’s communication and image concerns, and that the institution is showing its potential and the potential of its human resources, as well as its competences, services and experience.