André Ferreira, who holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the School of Economics and Management at the University of Porto (FEP), secured third place in the first edition of the Open Data Academy Challenge. This initiative, organised by E-REDES, rewards dissertations and master’s projects focused on energy transition and based on data from the Open Data Portal.

The award-winning study, titled “The Dimension of Energy Poverty in Portugal and Its Determinants”, supervised by Professor Isabel Mota, stood out for the quality of its research and the relevance of its topic, addressing one of the most pressing challenges of the country’s energy transition.

The awards ceremony brought together researchers, academics, and industry experts. It was part of a broader agenda of conferences and debates, beginning with a welcome session led by João Martins de Carvalho, a director at E-REDES, followed by a presentation by Luís Tiago Ferreira on the impact of Open Data. The event continued with a lecture by Professor Mário Figueiredo from Instituto Superior Técnico and a panel discussion on “The Role of Data in the Innovation Challenge”, moderated by a journalist from PÚBLICO. The panel featured experts such as Carlos Sampaio (APREN), Carlos Ferraz (APOCME), António Soares (Agency for Administrative Modernisation), Luís Nunes (ISCTE), and Joana Grácio (DataCOLAB). The event concluded with the awards presentation and a closing speech by Ferrari Careto, President of E-REDES.

Following the success of the first edition of the Open Data Academy Challenge, E-REDES has already announced a new edition for next year, encouraging future researchers to transform data into innovative solutions for the energy sector. The prize awards three distinctions per edition, with amounts of €6,000 for first place, €4,000 for second place, and €2,000 for third place.

Projects are evaluated based on the relevance of Open Data to the research (30%), the contribution of the dissertation or project to energy transition (50%), and the author’s ability to summarise and communicate their work in the final pitch (20%).