For the third consecutive year, Instituto Superior Técnico and TagEnergy have recognised and supported female talent in the Energy sector through the “Women in Energy MSc” scholarships. The 2025/2026 edition ceremony took place on 3 October at TagEnergy’s office in Lisbon, bringing together students, faculty members, and institutional representatives.
Although the protocol foresees the attribution of one scholarship per year, TagEnergy has made a point of distinguishing two students in each edition, recognising the merit and high quality of the applications. This year, the awardees were Carolina Antunes, a Master’s student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Maria Lobo Álvares, a Master’s student in Energy Engineering and Management, selected from among 44 candidates.
Carolina Antunes highlighted the importance of this support and of being able to focus on her studies without the pressure of having to work on weekends or during the summer, noting that “women play a fundamental role in bringing new information and innovation to the energy sector.”
Rogério Colaço, president of Instituto Superior Técnico, reinforced the importance of supporting female students and “bringing more women into science, technology, and energy fields”, noting that both the country and the technology sector still face significant imbalances in STEM areas.
The session featured a speech by Antoine Lajouanie, ESG and Asset Management Director at TagEnergy, who emphasised the importance of this partnership with Técnico and the company’s ongoing commitment to equal opportunities. Representing the jury, Adriana Martins underlined TagEnergy’s motivation to promote greater female representation in the sector. “Even in a short career, I have already found myself countless times as the only woman in the room — far too often”, also highlighting that “these scholarships represent an important step towards changing that reality”.
The Técnico jury was composed of professors Patrícia Batista, Joana Portugal, and Alexandre Bernardino, while Adriana Martins, Sara Correia, and Mónica Andreu represented TagEnergy.
The ceremony also featured testimonials from previous scholarship recipients. Margarida Cavaleiro, who recently completed her academic journey with the scholarship’s support, shared the transformative impact of the experience. “This scholarship carries a greater meaning — it encourages women to be recognised in this field”.
Inês Dias, currently on Erasmus mobility, sent a written message of encouragement to the new awardees: “Looking back at my experience and how the scholarship helped me so much financially, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I have been given and for the honour of having someone believe in my journey as a student and my potential. This support has not only strengthened my confidence as a woman but also as an engineer. It has encouraged me to invest more in myself, focus on my education, and become more passionate about empowering women and girls.
