CICECO News » CICECO at Research Summit: AI for Materials Science, ERC Experience & PhD Careers

CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials actively participated in the Research Summit 2025, organized by the University of Aveiro. The event brought together researchers, PhD students, and professionals to discuss the future of research and scientific careers.

On 15 July, CAD CICECO organized the AIM Further event that brought talks and practical sessions to improve the navigation of the PhD Journeys, an event dedicated to building academic and non-academic career paths.

CICECO was also present in the panel ERC @ UA: Inspiring Research Journeys. This roundtable, moderated by the Research Support Office (GAI), featured ERC grantees Mara Freire, João Mano, and Nuno Silva (CICECO), as well as ERC candidate Johannes Goessling (CESAM).

During the discussion, Professor João Mano highlighted that “an ERC grant is a stamp of excellence and, even if not awarded, the process enriches research ideas, being rewarding and unique for its focus on scientific excellence and ambitious proposals.”Professor Mara Freire, who holds two ERC grants, emphasized that the ERC offers freedom to conduct the project, but “requires a unique and innovative idea, the ability to capture the panel's attention, and a clear, strategically organized proposal.” These testimonies reinforced CICECO’s position as a leading institute in securing high-level European funding and promoting scientific ambition. Professor Nuno Silva also shared insights on his ERC-funded work, highlighting the importance of perseverance and vision to achieve impactful and ambitious research goals.

On 16 July, Dinis Abranches (CICECO) participated as a panel speaker in Beyond the Algorithm: AI, Society, and the Future of Knowledge, delivering the talk “When Algorithms Dream of Molecules: AI by Material Scientists, for Material Scientists”. He emphasized the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence, stating that “AI, the science of the future, will revolutionize how we create molecules, materials, systems, and how this impacts our lives.” His presentation showcased the potential of AI technologies in accelerating molecular modelling and data-driven materials discovery, highlighting frontier research conducted at CICECO in this domain.

On the 17th and 18th, researchers gave presentations to the public in a seminar or presentation of works. CICECO’s involvement in these sessions underlines its commitment to supporting PhD journeys, fostering advanced training, enabling career development, and integrating digital approaches to tackle current scientific and technological challenges.