Student: Maria Eugénia Coutinho Lino Cameira Leitão

Title: “Understanding Technology-driven Innovation with Sustainable Social Impact”

Date: 14/07/2026

Time: 14h00 (Lisbon Time)

Place: Anfiteatro PA-3, Edifício de Matemática (Piso -1)

Supervisor: Prof. Miguel Amaral (IST)

Cosupervisor: Prof. Ana Carvalho (IST)

Brief description of work: This doctoral research examines how technology-driven innovation can generate sustainable social impact in response to major societal challenges. Through three multi-level integrated studies, the thesis develops a coherent analytical framework spanning conceptual, organizational, and policy levels. First, it establishes the conceptual foundation of a central socio-tech form: Socio-Tech Entrepreneurship, as a distinct entrepreneurial genre. Second, at organizational level, it maps how ventures across the European Union combine technological innovation, market orientation, and social impact, and develops a practical roadmap for aligning mission, strategy, and impact scaling. Third, at policy/ecosystem level, it explains how EU transformative innovation policy shapes Deep-Tech ecosystems and identifies the macro-micro coalescence framework depicting the conditions required for societal goals to become embedded in innovation processes. The thesis offers relevant original contributions to entrepreneurship and innovation policy by connecting conceptualization, organizational enactment, ecosystem dynamics, and public policy.