Manager of an Innovative Leather Company

I'm currently Professor at the Computer Eng. Dep. of the Engineering School of the Porto Polytechnic (ISEP). I'm also Director of Virtual Campus Lda, an SME dedicated to Technology Enhanced Learning and Serious Games.

I have a PhD (2001) in Technologies and Information Systems from the University of Minho, focusing in the use of e-learning in Higher Education.

As professor, I've lectured more than 20 different courses on Algorithms, Programming, Data Structures, E-Learning and Multimedia. Currently I'm lecturing Serious Games Design and Development and Multimedia Application Development. I was responsible for planning and developing the syllabuses and materials for most of these courses.

I started my research career in 1988 at INESC in the Computer Graphics Group. In 1996, I focused in Technology Enhanced Learning while doing my PhD at the University of Minho. From 2005 to 2014, I was Scientific Coordinator of GILT R&D (Games, Interaction and Learning Technologies). I've directed eight PhD and 40 MSc theses and authored over 200 publications and communications, including more than ten books (as author and editor). I coordinated 16 national and European projects and participated in more than 20 other projects. I worked as an expert for the European Commission and associated agencies in the scope of the Socrates-ODL, Minerva, E-Learning, E-Contents Plus, Lifelong Learning and Erasmus+ programmes.

On the management side, I directed the Distance Education Unit of the Porto Polytechnic from 1997 until 2000. From 2001 until 2005 I was E-Learning Director of ISEP and served as Dean of the Computer Eng. Dep. between 2003 and 2005. Between 2011 and 2013 I was President of the Portuguese Chapter of the IEEE Education Society.

Currently, I'm directing a company dedicated to the production of Serious Games and Technology-based Educational contents and applications.

Expert in International Relations and European policies and funds. Studied political science and international business in Milan and in the Netherlands. Worked for the public (Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Municipality of Milan), semi public and private sector; mainly in the field of public funds, events management and European policies.

She is active in  the field of EU projects since 2009; has experience in the management of projects and connected activities such as research, dissemination and reporting.

Moreover, she has experience as a trainer in EU project management and Canvas business model.

She has been working in projects in the field of training & research and mainly in the field of TCLF

Foundation for Promotion of Entrepreneurship (FPE) is a non-profit foundation (NGO) established in 1990. The mission of FPE is to develop the spirit of entrepreneurship. FPE provides training, consultancy and information services.  

FPE provides training, consultancy and information services. FPE has trained more than 35.000 people so far. FPE is an advisory centre in the area of innovation management, commercialization and implementation of innovative solutions, IPR protection, etc.     

Since 2008 FPE has been the Enterprise Europe Network centre dedicated to the Łódzkie Region.

I’m currently General Manager of CTIC – Leather Technological Centre in Portugal. Besides the global management of the Centre it includes also the coordination of several national and international projects, in the fields of research and development, professional qualification and management for SME.

Speaker in seminars and other events in Portugal and abroad.

 I have a Degree in Economics, 1978, by   ISCTE, University of Lisbon and I have participated in several courses,   seminars and conferences in the fields of economics, management, quality, innovation,   cleaner technologies and circular economy.

Since 1979 to 1993, I was an Economist   in industrial companies.

I’m a Member of Order of Economists and   of Order of Official Accountants.

I was President of GERIC – Group of European   Leather Research Centres since 2005 to 2012.

Member of Administration Board of CENTI   – The Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials.

I'm currently working at CTIC - the Portuguese Leather Technological Centre, based at Alcanena, Portugal.

Since 1996 I’m full time Director of the Physical-mechanical Laboratory and full time Responsible for the Acoustics and Noise Department since 2006.

Since September 2009 I have an active participation as a specialist member, on the European Technical Committee for the Standardization CEN/TC 289 - Leather, on Work Groups WG2, WG3 e WG4.

As specialization related to leather and teaching,  I have a Superior Course in Leather Technology of the Escuela Superior de Teneria - Igualada (Barcelona) – Spain and I’m a professional trainer accredited by IEFP – Portuguese Training and Employment Institute.

From 1996 until 2001 I was teacher of Leather Technology on 12º Grade Technical-Professional Course at Alcanena’s Secondary School.

Since then, as a trainer I’ve lectured more than 25 different courses on Leather Technology, Tannery Processes, Standardization and Leather Testing, Production Control, among others. I was responsible for planning and developing the syllabuses and materials for most of these courses.

I participated with technical support and cooperation in several leather sector surveys, as well as with technical support on CTIC participation in several R&D projects funded by the European Union, and CTIC participation in several R&D Portuguese projects.

Currently, among other activities, I'm directing the CTIC’s I&D department.

A Chemical Engineer, graduated from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, with experience and expertise on Quality Management and Quality Control. She has previously worked at the Quality Department of ELKEDE Technology & Design Centre SA, in charge of the Product Certification Office and as an Assistant Quality Manager for the Quality Control Laboratory, in charge of the coordination of the internal quality control.

She is currently with Creative Thinking Development (CRE.THI.DEV), as Project Manager and Project Quality Manager for several Erasmus+ and regional projects with a focus on training, research and quality issues in a variety of topics including footwear, leather, food safety as well as sports.

Ana Belén Muñoz Milán is the Head of INESCOP’s Environment Department. She has a degree in Chemistry from the University of Alicante and an Expert’s degree in Plastics and Rubber. During her 20-year professional career at INESCOP, the Spanish Footwear Technology Institute, she has coordinated and participated in many European, national and regional projects in different areas related to the footwear industry: polymers, adhesion and adhesives for the footwear industry, development of sustainable materials, reuse of waste from the footwear and components sector, calculation of environmental impacts with indicators such as the carbon footprint, etc. She has authored numerous publications and articles in scientific and technical journals of the sector in relation to her research areas. In addition, she advises companies on the implementation of the European REACH Regulation about the control of hazardous substances used in footwear. For 10 years, she has collaborated with the Secretariat of ASEFCA, the Spanish Association of Adhesives Manufacturers.

Present position: Senior Researcher degree 1 - INCDTP-Division Leather and Footwear Research Institute, Bucharest, Romania;  Scientific Secretary of INCDTP-ICPI in the period 2007-2017;  President of  Romanian Technical Committee of Standardization for Leather and Footwear Sector (ASRO -TC 102) and member of CEN TC-289  of EC; Editor in Chief of  Leather and Footwear Journal; EC project’s evaluator; member of Dissertation Commissions for Doctoral degree; member of scientific committee of international conferences.

Expertise: Materials Science and Engineering, Clean technologies for leather processing; Leather waste recovery/valorization technologies; sustainable manufacturing;  product design; Obtaining of biocomposites for leather processing.

Scientific activities: Author /Co-author: 5 books and 6 book chapters, over 170 articles, 25 Romanian patents, 1 EPO patent, Project Director for 20 research projects.

From 2007 until 2008 I was teacher of Leather Technology at University Politehnica of Bucharest, Mechanical and Mechatronic Faculty,  Bucharest, RO.

Since then, as a trainer I’ve lectured different courses on Leather Technology, Technology for special leathers for antique upholstery and furniture leathers,  Technology for Waste Valorization. I was responsible for planning and developing materials for these courses.

I participated as coordinator in 18 R&D international and national projects funded by the European Union or national agency.

Dementia is one of the most prevalent and burdensome diseases in older age. By the year 2030, estimates suggest that there will be 74.7 million people with different forms of dementia worldwide. There is no cure for dementia: drugs only address the symptoms of the disease and non-pharmaceutical interventions are continuously tested and updated to improve patients’ quality of life: from interventions to increase of communication skills, agitation and stress reduction, and use of new technology.

The value of disseminating evidence on these interventions is immeasurable, but surprisingly this knowledge is often not available to care staff.

The iDO project aims at diminishing this existing gap by designing and developing an effective training package in close collaboration with people with dementia and their caregivers in hopes that this will promote the acquisition of skills by direct-care workers. This will be achieved by conducting different interviews with caregivers, patients, but also health professionals and then transforming it into an online massive course. The project will also develop and include a serious-game where people will be able to apply their gained knowledge on the different topics related with dementia.