To reflect on the country’s preparedness for extreme events, the Técnico Alumni platform and the Técnico Alumni Association (AAAIST) hosted a conference featuring a panel of experts on April 15 at Técnico Innovation Center powered by Fidelidade.
“It is important to remember that resilience is not limited to response, but also involves prevention and the ability to anticipate”, stated Rogério Colaço, president of Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa. Reinforcing Técnico’s mission to “empower, innovate, and put knowledge at the service of society”, he noted that Técnico’s contribution “involves training and helping to prepare professionals, as well as building bridges between academia, business and the public sector.” The president emphasised the importance of “transforming vulnerability into preparedness and resilience” and affirmed the School’s commitment to “actively working” on solutions. “It is a pleasure to see the alumni community bringing topics like this to the table”, he added.
“With this meeting, we aim to invigorate our network and reflect on how to prepare Portugal for extreme events”, explained Francisco Moitinho de Almeida, President of AAAIST. In his view, the community should not consist solely of a collection of memories, but should embody a “shared mission of caring for its members and country”. Additionally, he argued that Técnico “should continue to be a social elevator”, encouraging everyone to sign up on the platform and contribute donations to AAAIST, which supports students by awarding annual scholarships of up to four thousand euros.
Jean Barroca, Secretary of State for Energy and former president of Técnico Students’ Union, highlighted three recent events that put the energy system to the test: the blackout on April 28, 2025, the Kristin storm in January, and the attack on Iran in February. “The only way to respond is to rely on the public’s calm, on planning, on science, and to implement concrete measures”, he stated. He also mentioned the creation of an advisory group that includes Técnico students, aimed at reflecting on the development of the energy system. Recognising the need to decarbonise the economy and improve energy efficiency, he emphasised that the energy transition is “the only way to achieve energy resilience”.
In a roundtable discussion moderated by Ana Dias, Chief Financial Officer of Medialivre, the panel of guests shared their views on the topic. António Gonçalves Henriques, a professor at Técnico, highlighted the need to strengthen river basin monitoring systems, advocating for greater monitoring by management entities. Rogério Campos Henriques, CEO of Fidelidade, highlighted the importance of risk education, stating that it leads to a higher level of protection. Carlos Fernandes, Vice President of Infraestruturas de Portugal, confirmed that plans are underway to “increase resilience” through a focus on planning and asset management.
Other topics discussed included the role of artificial intelligence in predicting events such as floods and droughts, the digitisation of information, and the creation of predictive models for risk reduction.
