The third INSURE.hub conference highlighted Innovation, Sustainability and Regeneration as central components of the social responsibility of Universities. The Universidade Católica Portuguesa, as vice-rector Peter Hanenberg recalled, has three strategic pillars: Teaching, Research and Innovation, and Service and Social Responsibility. For this reason, this event assumes a particular relevance as a forum for meetings between academia, companies and organizations.
“We cannot be spectators of the future, we have to be actors of the future”, stated Manuela Veloso, the keynote speaker at the conference. He is head of J.P. Morgan AI Research & Herbert A. and Simon University Professor Emeritus in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University and had the opportunity to address the “symbiotic interaction between Human and Artificial Intelligence”, highlighting the “many opportunities of Artificial intelligence”.
Manuela Veloso stated that “human beings cannot see and discover everything” and that Artificial Intelligence “was invented by humans and did not fall to earth like some kind of alien”. “With Artificial Intelligence, it is possible to do a lot. Artificial Intelligence provides answers to many critical problems”, he said.
Peter Hanenberg, vice-rector of UCP, during the opening session of the conference, affirmed the University’s research mission, highlighting some of UCP’s initiatives that incorporate the principles of INSURE.hub. “Research at UCP focuses on development and improving people’s living conditions”, stated the vice-rector, mentioning that “we need sustainability and regeneration to face the challenges. Nothing is possible without co-creation and partners.” “We need to assume the role of dream entrepreneurs”, he adds.
“More than ever, the themes of sustainability and regeneration are fundamental for all organizations”, stated Isabel Braga da Cruz, pro-rector of UCP, during her intervention on the second day of the conference. He also highlighted the importance of bringing together companies and entities around sustainability issues and the mission assumed by INSURE.hub, “a vibrant international ecosystem of multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary knowledge”.
The opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence
Alexandre Palma, professor at the Faculty of Theology, participated in the keynote speaker panel, having been challenged to comment on the intervention and raise some questions that help put Artificial Intelligence into perspective.
Alexandre Palma challenged the audience to think about how Theology can relate to the themes of Sustainability, Technology and Artificial Intelligence. The teacher highlighted the positive and practical approach that Manuela Veloso brought to the topic of Artificial Intelligence. “As a theologian, I am fascinated by this black box, which is focused on outputs and inputs: but what lies between the two?”, he asked. Alexandre Palma also highlighted the digital acceleration and the speed of the transition: “I'm not sure if the speed of this process is giving us the possibility to get involved and if it is giving us the time necessary to follow the climb up the ladder without we miss a few steps.”
Manuela Veloso stated that she has a very positive view regarding Artificial Intelligence and its opportunities, because “I believe in the goodness of humanity.” “I invite you to look around you and appreciate everything that uses this technology. We are surrounded by Artificial Intelligence”, he also said. “The challenge is that we are not applying these possibilities in our companies, industries and in our work”, he also said.
INSURE.hub brings together academia, companies and organizations
The conference, which took place on the 16th and 17th of November on the UCP-Porto campus, brought together more than 200 people each day, with many researchers presenting their papers and studies and also several representatives of companies and organisations that came to share their path to sustainability with inspiring practices and projects.
“Innovation and Sustainability: How Can Universities and Organisations Converge and Collaborate?” was the name of one of the round tables that presented the topic of sustainability and innovation from different perspectives: that of universities, companies and local authorities.
Jenny Lao Phillips, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Saint Joseph in Macau, stated that universities “can generate talent for Industry, but Industry has to share its experiences. Collaboration is essential.” “We must work more together”, he added.
Filipe Araújo, vice-president of the Câmara Municipal do Porto (CMP), said that “cities have a crucial role” towards a more sustainable world. The vice president of the CMP highlighted the importance of collaboration with universities, stating that “all strategies defined by the municipality in its various themes are being developed together with universities.”
Luís Silva, partner at KPMG, was also part of this panel, moderated by Paula Castro, director of the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia. Luís Silva stated that “there is no river that separates companies from universities” and that “collaboration is essential”. The speaker also explained that companies need Universities “far beyond training needs”, giving the example that companies “have a huge need for teachers and knowledge in their projects.”
INSUREhub is an example of this collaboration and co-creation between different sectors of society. It seeks to be at the forefront of promoting innovation, sustainability and regeneration. It results from mobilising the Universidade Católica in Porto through its Faculties - Católica Porto Business School and Escola Superior de Biotecnologia - and Planetiers New Generation.
“We exist to enable profound transformation and evolution”
João Pinto, member of the executive committee of Católica in Porto and professor at Católica Porto Business School, Manuela Pintado, director of the Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry and professor at the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia and António Vasconcelos, from Planetiers New Generation, are the co- INSURE.hub leaders. Together on stage at the start of the second day of the conference, they had the opportunity to present the initiative, highlighting its mission, the involvement of more than 70 partners, the projects promoted, and the main challenges they want to respond to. The co-leaders say, “We exist to enable profound transformation and evolution.”
After the INSURE.hub presentation by its co-leaders, there were presentations from various companies and organizations. Vasco Granadeiro, from Bondalti, Jorge Leal, from Ingenio Magdalena, and Diogo Figueira, from Mendes Gonçalves, participated in the first panel of the session dedicated to Industry Cases, moderated by Manuela Pintado. The second panel, moderated by Luís Rochartre, senior advisor Planetiers New Generation and industry fellow Católica Porto Business School, included the participation of Pedro Baganha from Domus Social, Alexandra Magalhães from Sarcol, and Vítor Hugo Gonçalves, from Águas de Monchique.
The Green Deal and the EU economic model
Jorge Portugal, from COTEC Portugal, who highlighted the role of the European Union and the importance of a “true ambition for transformation”, was the moderator of the special session dedicated to the Green Deal, which featured the participation of Annette Bongardt (FCH and Católica Lisbon, UCP and CICP of the University of Évora) and Francisco Torres (FCH and Católica Lisbon, UCP).
Annette Bongardt and Francisco Torres presented some of the issues they have studied in a presentation entitled “The Green Deal and the EU Economic Model”. They recalled the essence of the Green Deal and the challenge of carbon neutrality in the European Union by 2050. What motivates change and the need for transformation? The speakers say it is the “scientific view of multifactorial environmental damage and challenges (among others, climate change, loss of biodiversity, destruction of the ozone layer, water pollution and urban stress)”. “We have to change the paradigm” and “sustainability has to be transformed into concrete actions” reinforce the speakers. Annette Bongardt and Francisco Torres also state that we must “transform threats into opportunities” and that “the European Union alone cannot save the planet”. “The initial convergence of preferences made the Green Deal possible, but its implementation is posing a major challenge”, they add.
Natural Sciences and Social Sciences: towards a more sustainable world
During the first day of the conference, papers were presented in sessions dedicated to Natural Sciences and Social Sciences.
During the morning, the sessions were moderated by Célia Manaia, professor and researcher at the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, and by António Vasconcelos, co-leader of Planetiers New Generations. The papers presented were: “Food Safety in Sustainable Local Production of Fruits and Vegetables in Braga and Porto districts”, presented by Ariana Macieira, “Transforming Food Production and Waste Management: A Regenerative Approach for Community Empowerment and Environmental Sustainability”, by Derrick Oti , “Unlocking the potential of orange juice side streams: a cascade extraction approach to develop food bio-based ingredients”, by Ana Vilas-Boas, “Green and Reliability Method to Extract Phenylethyl Isothiocyanate in a circular economy approach”, by Ana Sofia Sousa , “Promoting business transformation in supply chain demand forecasting through supervised learning”, by João Nuno Gonçalves, “The pricing of sustainable syndicated loan”, by Paulo Alves, “ARTE4US Sustainability at the local level – awareness and literacy with an artistic approach”, by Teresa Sarmento and Catarina Selada, “The Corporate Social Responsibility with Female Leadership”, by Clotilde Passos, “SOLL for an education aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals”, by Andreia Magalhães, and “From Risk to Opportunity: Financial Instruments for Tackling Climate Change”, presented by Marcel Piterman.
During the afternoon, the session dedicated to Natural Sciences was moderated by João Cortez, director of the Research and Innovation office at UCP, and the one focused on Social Sciences by João Pinto: “Communication in Pharmaceutical Industry in Hybrid Work Environments: Info Wants and Info Seeking Actions of Portuguese Neurologist”, by Amílcar Barreto, “High-fibre breakfast cereals products by valorization of food industry byproducts”, by Diva Santos, “BioShoes4All, Towards Sustainable Footwear: Integrating Agro-Food Byproducts for Eco-Friendly Shoe Components ”, by Sara Silva, “Rhodococcus sp. ED55 – a bacterial strain with potential for application in wastewater treatment for effective removal of endocrine disruptors”, by Irina Moreira, “Mycopigments for a sustainable textile industry”, by Ana Paulo, “Sustainable cultivation crop: integrated use of extracellular polymeric substances, biochar , and bioinoculants to enhance maize growth”, by Sofia Almeida Pereira, “Not All Eggs in One Basket: The Need for New Product Portfolio Management”, by Eelko Huizingh, “Science for the Common Good: the contribution of Integral Ecology for Curriculum Innovation ”, by Cristina Sá Carvalho, “Narratives on sustainability in education: a close look at the Portuguese Educational Policies”, by Ana Paula Saltos, “RegChain: is Regulatory Technology innovating with Blockchain?”, by Rachel Anastacio, “Promoting Integral Human Development to innovation and business transformation: And what if a territory changes for the better?”, by Maria Alexandra Araújo, and “ESG Framework and Financial Performance”, by Rúben Tiago Pimentel.
“BioShoes4All, Towards Sustainable Footwear: Integrating Agro-Food Byproducts for Eco-Friendly Shoe Components” was the paper awarded the KPMG Best Paper Presentation Award and “The pricing of sustainable syndicated loan” was awarded the MDS Best Paper Presentation Award.
It was an intense two days full of many opportunities for sharing knowledge and networking. A conference that is living proof of the commitment that UCP assumes towards Innovation, Sustainability and Regeneration. Isabel Braga da Cruz, during her intervention, did not fail to congratulate INSURE for its “energy, commitment and enthusiasm”. And so we make our way towards a more sustainable world. And also, there is already a fourth INSURE.hub conference in sight: October 2024. Everyone is invited.
