About this episode
José Manuel Mendonça, professor emeritus at the University of Porto, draws a parallel in this interview between the evolution of the city and that of INESC Tec, the institute he directed for almost two decades, highlighting how the urban and academic environment contributed to attracting investment and talent.
Throughout the conversation, he also expresses ethical concerns about the benefits of scientific and technological development being captured by a small number of companies, but shows hope in innovation coming from spaces of freedom such as universities and startups, advocating that cities should be open to the development of services and technologies they create.
About the guest
José Manuel Mendonça is Senior Researcher at INESC TEC, Professor Emeritus at the University of Porto, and National Director of the UT Austin Portugal program. He served as President of the National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, led the collaborative lab ForestWISE CoLAB, and held leadership roles in organizations such as the Innovation Agency, the Ilídio Pinho Foundation, and several tech companies.
He is a Fellow of the IC² Institute at the University of Texas, a member of the European technology platform Manufuture, and recently chaired the independent panel of the Eureka Eurostars program.
