INESC TEC researcher wins the Fundação Eng. António de Almeida Award

Abílio Pereira Pacheco, researcher of INESC TEC’s Centre for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CITE), won the Fundação Eng. António de Almeida Award for the best PhD thesis in Mechanical Engineering or Industrial Engineering and Management, completed in the civil year of 2017 at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP).

In the area of Engineering Systems and Public Policy, while aiming at introducing flexibility, in uncertainty context, in the design of forest fire management systems, the PhD thesis entitled “ “Flexible design of forest fire management systems” was awarded at the “Conferment Ceremony” on 14 March at FEUP.

Besides identifying the inefficiencies in the suppression system (as in the case of false alarms, re-ignitions and large fires), the PhD proposes models for the integrated management of prevention through suppression and establishes recommendations of public policies in this sector.

“In order to reduce the vulnerability of the ecosystems and societies through a better and proactive risk governance, it's necessary to understand the relationships between the physical, ecological and cultural systems that influence the severity of the forest fires. Since we can't control the weather, one of the remaining options is to reduce the human impact”, highlighted the researcher from CITE, who is also invited assistant professor at FEUP.

Besides this award, the thesis of the INESC TEC's researcher had already achieved a "Cum Laude” distinction at the end of 2018.

The Fundação Eng. António de Almeida was established in 1969 in order to promote and to support educational, cultural and charitable activities, awarding every year the best PhD theses presented in different Doctoral Programmes. This year, the thesis that received EUR 1 500 was part of the Doctoral Program in Industrial Engineering and Management.

The researcher mentioned in this news piece is associated with INESC TEC.