DEAEPP - Áreas de investigação
Research Areas
The Doctoral Program in Engineering and Public Policy (DEAEPP) encompasses advanced research at the interface between engineering, technology, and public policy, focusing on the design, analysis, and evaluation of policies in domains where technology is a determining factor, and on decision support for complex, unstructured, and large-scale problems.
The program was developed in partnership with the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University and is part of the CMU-Portugal program. The predominant scientific area of the cycle of studies is Engineering and Management.
The research associated with the program should be understood at three complementary levels:
- the scientific-disciplinary areas of the Department of Engineering and Management
- the research units that frame the scientific activity of the faculty
- the specific topics of supervision, research, and advanced teaching associated with the program's faculty
Scientific-disciplinary Areas of the Department
The Doctoral Program in Engineering and Public Policy is framed by the Department of Engineering and Management, which is organized into two scientific-disciplinary areas:
- Systems Engineering and Management (EGS)
- Organization Engineering and Management (EGO)
In the EPP, these areas are reflected in the curricular component itself — which includes EGO curricular units (Theory, Practice and Analysis of Public Policies; Quantitative Research Methods) and EGS units (Models and Applications in Decision Analysis) — and cover decision problems, policy analysis, economics, innovation, energy, sustainability, information systems, and analysis of complex systems relevant to public policies.
Associated Research Units
According to the accreditation process of the cycle of studies, the scientific activity of the EPP faculty is developed within the framework of three research units:
| Research Unit | FCT Classification | No. of EPP Faculty |
|---|---|---|
| CEGIST — Centre for Management Studies of Instituto Superior Técnico | Excellent | 4 |
| LARSyS — Laboratory of Robotics and Engineering Systems | Excellent | 4 |
| INESC INOV — Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores Inovação | Very Good | 1 |
CEGIST — Centre for Management Studies of Instituto Superior Técnico
CEGIST organizes its activity into research branches covering decision methods, operations research, strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability. In the context of the EPP, the branches linked to decision science and to strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation are particularly relevant.
| Research Branch | Scientific Focus |
|---|---|
| DECISING — DECISion science and management engineerING | Methods, models, and decision support tools in contexts with multiple actors, multiple objectives, uncertainty, evaluation, prioritization, resource allocation, risk, policy, and strategic choice. |
| SEI — Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation | Strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, industrial dynamics, labor markets, economic and regional development, human capital, technological change, and evaluation of science, industry, and higher education policies. |
| MOSAIC — systems modelling and Methods of Operations reSearch And analytICs | Systems modeling, operations research, optimization, and analytical tools applied to complex engineering and management problems. |
| SUSTAINS — SUSTainable solutions and Assessment for cIrcular ecoNomy Systems | Sustainability, circular economy, economic, environmental, and social assessment, and support tools for sustainability implementation and monitoring. |
Useful Links:
LARSyS — Laboratory of Robotics and Engineering Systems
LARSyS is an Associate Laboratory dedicated to research in complex and socio-technical engineering systems, bringing together four units (ISR-Lisboa, IN+, ITI, and MARETEC). In the context of the EPP, the most relevant connection is through IN+ — Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research, in topics that cross technology management, innovation policy, energy systems, sustainability, mobility, and decarbonization.
| Area / Unit | Possible Framework in EPP |
|---|---|
| Technology Management and Policy (IN+) | Technology management, innovation policy, science and technology policy, policy evaluation, and technological change processes. |
| Energy Systems (IN+) | Planning and management of energy systems, energy transition, energy and climate, and the link between technology, industry, and public policies. |
| Industrial Ecology and Sustainability (IN+) | Sustainability, circular economy, environmental assessment, and decarbonization. |
Useful Links:
INESC INOV — Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores Inovação
INOV is a Technology and Innovation Center dedicated to applied research and technology transfer in the field of ICTE, with areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, sensing and IoT, cyber-physical systems, and digital transformation. In the context of the EPP, the connection is relevant in topics of information systems, IT governance, and digital transformation applied to organizational and public policy contexts.
Useful Links:
Faculty and Research Interests
Indicative list of faculty associated with the Doctoral Program in Engineering and Public Policy, with areas of interest, CV summary, and public profiles.
| Faculty Member | Unit / Center | Research Area/Interests | CV Summary | Profiles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rui Miguel Loureiro Nobre Baptista | CEGIST | Entrepreneurship; innovation; industrial dynamics; strategic human capital; technological change; labor market; regional development. | Full Professor in the Department of Engineering and Management. Works in entrepreneurship, innovation, business dynamics, employment, and regional development. | Fénix · Center · Técnico Scholar · Supervisions · Google Scholar · ORCID · Scopus · Ciência Vitae |
| Mónica Duarte Correia de Oliveira | CEGIST | Health systems management; financing, planning, equity, and efficiency in health; decision analysis; risk analysis. | Full Professor in the Department of Engineering and Management. Works in health systems, decision analysis, health policies, and performance evaluation. | Fénix · Center · Técnico Scholar · Supervisions · Google Scholar · ORCID · Scopus · Ciência Vitae · Personal Page |
| Joana Serra da Luz Mendonça | IN+ | Innovation; technology management; technology policy; entrepreneurship; technology commercialization and adoption; design thinking. | Full Professor in the Department of Engineering and Management. Develops research at the intersection of innovation, technology, public policy, entrepreneurship, and knowledge dynamics. | Fénix · Center · Técnico Scholar · Supervisions · Google Scholar · ORCID · Scopus · Personal Page |
| Miguel Leitão Bignolas Mira da Silva | INESC INOV | Information systems; IT governance and management; digital transformation; IS project management. | Full Professor; PhD in Computer Science (University of Glasgow, 1997). | Fénix · Técnico Scholar · Supervisions · ORCID · Scopus · Ciência Vitae |
| Carlos Augusto Santos Silva | IN+/LARSyS | Energy systems; energy planning; solar thermal energy; engineering, decision-making, and public policies; decarbonization. | Associate Professor; PhD in Mechanical Engineering (IST, 2005). | Fénix · Center · Técnico Scholar · Supervisions · Google Scholar · ORCID · Scopus · Ciência Vitae |
| Francisco Miguel Garcia Gonçalves de Lima | CEGIST | Applied econometrics; human resources; innovation; entrepreneurship; labor economics. | Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering and Management. Works in applied econometrics, human resources, innovation, entrepreneurship, and labor market. | Fénix · Center · Técnico Scholar · Supervisions · Google Scholar · ORCID · Scopus · Ciência Vitae |
| Patrícia De Carvalho Baptista | IN+/LARSyS | Energy systems; energy and sustainability; energy and climate; sustainable mobility; industrial ecology. | Assistant Professor; PhD in Mechanical Engineering (IST, 2011). | Fénix · Center · Técnico Scholar · Supervisions · Google Scholar · ORCID · Scopus · Ciência Vitae · Personal Page |
| Hugo Miguel Fragoso de Castro Silva | CEGIST | Economics of technological change; human capital; automation; skills; business dynamics; labor market. | Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering and Management. Holds a PhD in Engineering and Management from Técnico, with research focused on the relationship between technology, companies, employment, and human capital. | Fénix · Center · Técnico Scholar · Supervisions · Google Scholar · ORCID · Scopus |
| António Sérgio Constantino Folgado Ribeiro | CEGIST | Labor economics; entrepreneurship; innovation; sports economics; labor mobility; efficiency. | Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering and Management. Develops research in labor economics, entrepreneurship, innovation, and sports economics. | Fénix · Center · Técnico Scholar · Supervisions · Google Scholar · ORCID · Scopus · Ciência Vitae |
Thesis Topics and Previous Dissertations
The definition of new thesis topics should consider the active research units, the faculty's interests, and the dissertations already completed in the program.
Recent EPP theses cover, among other topics:
- workforce demographics, transitions to entrepreneurship, and startup performance
- the role of culture in technology diffusion (mobile communications)
- science and society policies, public participation in science, and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
- prospects for offshore wind energy deployment
- varieties of national protectionism (firm entry, adaptive regulation, and technological differences in global shocks)
- sustainable energy-based rural electrification in developing countries
These topics reflect the articulation between technology, economics, environment, and public decision-making that characterizes the program, frequently co-supervised with Carnegie Mellon University within the scope of CMU-Portugal.
Connection to Faculty, Projects, and Scientific Activities
- Department of Engineering and Management: Faculty Events | News
- CEGIST — Centre for Management Studies of Instituto Superior Técnico: Events | Seminars | News
- IN+ — Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research: Events | News
- LARSyS
- INOV
- Carnegie Mellon University — Engineering and Public Policy (EPP)