One by one, more than two dozen students from the Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, took to the stage in the Great Hall, at Alameda campus, to receive the 2026 Merit Awards amid applause from fellow students, professors and representatives of the School’s partner companies. The ceremony took place on 2 July and celebrated the “merit, dedication and academic achievements of the honoured students”, strengthening the connection between Técnico and the business community.
“Academic excellence takes on even greater significance when it is recognised by companies that support Técnico’s mission and help prepare our students for the challenges of the future”, emphasised Pedro Amaral, Vice-President of Técnico for Corporate Interface, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The award recipients expressed their gratitude to their fellow students, professors, families, and the companies that supported them throughout their academic journey. For many of these students, the award represented “not only recognition of the work carried out in recent years”, but also a “motivation to continue taking on responsibility, cultivating a critical mindset and striving for excellence throughout a career”.
Collaboration between academia and industry was also at the heart of the roundtable discussion ‘Valuing Merit, Shaping the Future: The Impact of the Business Ecosystem on the Academic Environment’, featuring Nuno Horta, a professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Rui Prada, representing the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Carlos Silva, a professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering; and José Mourão, a professor at the Department of Mathematics and moderated by Miguel Cacho Teixeira, president of the Pedagogical Council.
“The strategic focus for the future of higher education”, argued Nuno Horta, lies in “preparing students to meet the scientific, technological and industrial challenges of a constantly changing world”. Building on this idea, the academic staff reflected on how a science- and technology-based education can prepare “future engineers for increasingly diverse career paths, in which interdisciplinarity, adaptability and continuous learning play a central role”.
“This partnership is much more than the awards we are presenting today”, said Rogério Colaço, President of Técnico, addressing the members of the Técnico Partner Network that attended the ceremony. “This ongoing collaboration enhances our students’ education, aligns their knowledge with the needs of society, and helps Técnico fulfill its mission to impact education, research, and innovation”.
In his closing remarks, Rogério Colaço encouraged the students to continue serving as “role models” for future generations. “More than ever, we need people who inspire others through their talent, their dedication and the way they put knowledge at the service of society”, he said.
Merit Awards 2026:
- Axians Merit Award in Optimisation and Algorithms (Department of Computer Science and Engineering): Vasco Fernandes, Master’s Programme in Data Science and Engineering;
- BNP Paribas Merit Award in Introduction to Mathematical Finance (Department of Mathematics): Diogo Vaz, Master’s Programme in Applied Mathematics and Computation;
- BNP Paribas Merit Award for the Best Master’s Student in Computer Science and Engineering (Department of Computer Science and Engineering): Leonor Figueira, Master’s Programme in Computer Science and Engineering;
- Brisa Merit Award in Estimation and Distributed Predictive Control (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering): Pedro Leite, Master’s Programme in Electrical and Computer Engineering;
- Celfocus Merit Award in Machine Learning (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering): Leonor Gonçalves, Master’s Programme in Engineering Physics;
- Celfocus Merit Award in Software Engineering (Department of Computer Science and Engineering): Ema Ferrão and Guilherme da Silva, Master’s Programme in Computer Science and Engineering;
- Deloitte Merit Award in Software Architecture (Department of Computer Science and Engineering): Alexander Lupatsiy and Linda Gundel, Master’s Programme in Computer Science and Engineering;
- Deloitte Merit Award in Data Science (Department of Computer Science): Pedro Machado, Master’s Programme in Computer Science and Engineering;
- Deloitte Merit Award for the Best Master’s Student in Electrical and Computer Engineering – Telecommunications (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering): Tomás Maia, Master’s Programme in Electrical and Computer Engineering;
- Fidelidade Merit Award in Computer Science and Engineering (Department of Computer Science and Engineering): Diogo Antunes, Master’s Programme in Computer Science and Engineering;
- Fidelidade Merit Award in Spoken Language Processing (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering): Henrique Rodrigues and Dinis Silva. Honourable Mention for Miguel Soares and Francisco Rolo, Master’s Programme in Electrical and Computer Engineering;
- McKinsey Merit Award in Differential and Integral Calculus III (Department of Mathematics): Miguel Carvalho, Undergraduate Programme in Computer Science and Engineering;
- NOS Merit Award in Parallel and Distributed Computing (Department of Computer Science and Engineering): Leonor Figueira, Master’s Programme in Electrical and Computer Engineering;
- NTT DATA Merit Award in Machine Learning (Department of Computer Science and Engineering): Rodrigo Ramos and Bernardo Lopes, Undergraduate Programme in Computer Science and Engineering;
- Tekever Merit Award in Aerospace Engineering (Department of Mechanical Engineering & Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering): Manuel Marques. Honourable Mention for Adriana Oliveira and Gonçalo Coelho, Master’s Programme in Aerospace Engineering;
- SKK Merit Award in Energy and Sustainability (Department of Mechanical Engineering): Inês Firmino, Master’s Programme in Mechanical Engineering;
- Vodafone Merit Award in Mobile Networks and Internet of Things (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering): Carolina Antunes and Ricardo Rodrigues, Master’s Programme in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
