Offside
Limelight

"Right at the beginning of my career I decided to give back my country’s investment in my education. And the way to do that was not giving in to the temptation of leaving the country", Francisco Araújo

Free Nonsense

"Pointing at my passport, I kept replying in Portuguese, emphasizing that I was Brazilian and, therefore, I spoke Portuguese. However, every time I answered a question, the police officer repeated: «I see», «I understand», «I see»”, Diego Issicaba

Gallery of the Uncommon

INESC Porto has recently reached a new media attention height. Go figure… We were hired by Barack Obama! For us, the sky is the limit!

Have your say

"...my first victory: being awarded with a research grant to come work at the great institution that is INESC Porto", Ana Silva

Jobs 4 the Boys & Girls

In this section, the reader may find reference to public announcements made by INESC Porto offering grants, contracts and other opportunities of the same kind.

Biptoon

More scenes of how life goes merrily on...

 
 

Limelight

Limelight

Every month, this section will honour a collaborator for an exceptional contribution in his/her area of activity. BIP’s Editors will have the final choice. However, the cooperation of every Unit Coordinator is precious since they will be the ones suggesting which collaborator should be distinguished...

francisco araújo

 

1. How does it feel to have been chosen for the “Limelight” section in the March edition of BIP?”

It’s incredibly rewarding.

Fora de Série 1

2. How long have you been working at INESC Porto and what is your connection to the institution?

I’m working at INESC Porto’s Optoelectronics and Electronic Systems Unit (UOSE) since 1 October 1993, with an interruption between 15 May 2001 and 16 July 2003. I am currently a senior researcher.

3. How did the opportunity to work at INESC Porto come up?

After finishing my traineeship for my degree in Physics at the Optoelectronics Unit, under the supervision of Manuel Marques, I started working at INESC Porto after José Salcedo invited me to collaborate with Oleg Okhotnikov.

4. What is your degree?

I graduated in Physics and specialised in Optics and Electronics. Afterwards, I received my PhD in Knowledge in Physics.

Fora de Série 2

5. Which was the first challenge that made you “sweat” while working at INESC Porto?

The implementation of a system for the fabrication of optical fibre Bragg gratings.

6. What was your first victory?

Fabricating the first optical fibre Bragg grating.

7. How do you feel about the experience of developing advanced technology with the European Space Agency?

The balance is positive. Developing this technology was quite demanding because not only did it involve the design and fabrication of Bragg gratings with narrow spectral response, but also the implementation of the respective tuning system with compensation of temperature effects. At the same time, it required its final integration in a compact device that may be applied in orbital LIDAR systems in the future.

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8. How do you combine your Professional activity at FiberSensing with the research at the Optoelectronics?

At the Optoelectronics Unit, my activity is focused on research and development project management and on the supervision of PhD students. This activity is perfectly compatible with the product development activities that I perform at FiberSensing. In fact, there are several projects in which both institutions can collaborate and complement each other. While INESC Porto is usually involved at the level of basic research, FiberSensing focuses more on product development activities and assessment of market potential.

9. Who would you say is/was a role model for you at INESC Porto?

I would have to say Professor Pedro Guedes de Oliveira.

10. Do you believe that there is a place in Portugal for brilliant and entrepreneur minds like yours?

Yes. Right at the beginning of my career I decided to give back my country’s investment in my education. And the way to do that was not giving in to the temptation of leaving the country.

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11. What would be your advice for a young researcher?

A young researcher should combine an innovative and irreverent spirit and a great working capacity, and be capable of integrating the values of the hosting institutions that provide the opportunity for the young researcher to start his/her research career.

12. We will end this short questionnaire by asking you to comment on what José Luís Santos, coordinator of your Unit – UOSE, had to say about you when he appointed you for the “Limelight” section.

“The ESA 1 project team held its last technical meeting on 16 February with the ESA representative supervising the project. Even though the project will be formally concluded in April at ESA’s headquarters, the project’s requirements in the tender specification have already been fulfilled (this was, in fact, a service that we provided). For this result, the work developed by the person responsible for the project, Francisco Araújo, was decisive on several levels. We can say without any overstatement that without his competence, leadership and hard work, we would have hardly managed to achieve this satisfactory stage. This is a project with a high technological risk that has fortunately reached a successful conclusion, thus opening the path for new contracts in the incredibly demanding area that is Space”.

José Luís Santos’ words are obviously excessive because without the contribution of the entire team working on the project, it would not have been possible to reach a successful conclusion.