Carlos Matias Ramos
Bastonário da Ordem dos Engenheiros

Keynote topic: "The 'Ordem dos Engenheiros' Perspective on Doctorates in Engineering"

Born in Pinhel, Carlos Matias Ramos has a degree in Civil Engineering from FEUP (1969). He is, since 1979, a Specialist in the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC) and, since 1989, Research Coordinator. He was President of LNEC between 2005 and 2010 and Vice President in the previous two terms. At LNEC he conducted nearly 100 (national and abroad) studies and projects on hydraulics. He participated, as Consultant, in 90 studies and projects. He is author or co-author of 89 articles, five technical memories and three technical books. He lectured in master and post-graduation courses and gave about fifty conferences and lectures, of technical and professional nature. Member of the Academy of Engineering; member of Hydraulic Committee of ICOLD, 2010; member of the School Board of IST; Chairman of the Environmental Council of Portucel Group Soporcel; Chairman of the Board of the Civil Engineering Associations of Portuguese and Castilian Speaking Countries; President (Bastonário) of the Ordem dos Engenheiros, since 2010. Personality of the Year in Engineering (2008) by the newspaper ‘Construir’.

José Carlos Caldeira
President of the Board of Directors of the National Innovation Agency

Keynote topic: "Linking Business and Academia: the key role of PhD’s and related challenges and opportunities"

José Carlos Caldeira has a degree and a MSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering University of Porto (FEUP). He was director of INESC Porto, one of the main ICT research and technology transfer institutes in Portugal and executive director of PRODUTECH, a cluster of more than 70 organizations targeting the development of production technologies for the manufacturing industry.

He is still a Board member of ISPIM | International Society for Professional Innovation Management; a member of the MANUFUTURE | High Level Group and Chairman of its National and Regional Technology Platforms Group; and a Board member of EFFRA | European Factories of the Future Research Association (as observer) and national deputy of the NMP+B Programme Committee of HORIZON 2020. He is also, since 2014, the President of the Board of Directors of the National Innovation Agency.

Luís Humberto Ferreira
European Patent Attorney

Keynote topic: The Value of Patents for Engineers

Luís has a degree in Electrical and Computers Engineering by FEUP (1995) having taken the IS branch. He has worked in IT/IS, media and in intellectual property, especially patents. He is a partner at patents.pt. He has assisted clients, extensively, in developing strategy and prosecution for patent and IP management, namely advanced and defensive patent filings, with comprehensive patent prosecution experience in European, PCT and Portuguese patent applications, also by providing opinions and analysis on patentability, freedom to operate, and infringement matters. He has experience as a judicial patent expert, whether appointed by the court or by the parties of the case.
He has interned with the Examining Division of the EPO and is a tutor with CEIPI - Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies, namely in the Training in European Patent Law with the University of Strasbourg, and with EPI - Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office. Luís is an European Patent Attorney, a Portuguese Patent and Trademark Attorney, and an European Trademark and Design Attorney.

Melita Kovačević
Chair of the Steering Committee at the European University Association - Council of Doctoral Education

Keynote topic: "Quality assurance and employability in doctoral programmes"

Melita Kovačević is the former Vice-Rector for Research and Technology at the University of Zagreb since 2006 and Full Professor at the Department of Speech and Language Pathology of the University of Zagreb. She is Head of the Laboratory for Psycholinguistic Research and Director of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program “Language and Cognitive Neuroscience”. She held research and visiting positions at different European and American universities and has been a member of various national and international societies.

She joined the EUA-CDE | European University Association - Council of Doctoral Education, Steering Committee in 2009 and presently is an acting Chair. Melita Kovačević was a member of different national and European bodies related to higher education. Within the UNICA | Network of Universities, from the Capitals of Europe, she is particular active in the area of doctoral education and research.