Carlos Alves

Carlos Manuel Ferreira Alves, originally from Braga, where he was born on 25 June, is a university lecturer and doctoral researcher in Computer Science at the ALGORITMI Research Centre of the School of Engineering of the University of Minho. His doctoral studies were funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology — FCT until 2025, with his research focusing on user experience, technology acceptance, augmented reality, spatial computing, and the application of emerging technologies to e-commerce.

He currently teaches at the University of Minho and the University of Maia. At the University of Minho, he teaches in the Master’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence and the Master’s Degree in Law and Informatics, while also contributing to other programmes and levels of study within the institution. At the University of Maia, he teaches the course unit Technological Trends and Artificial Intelligence, as part of the Master’s Degree in Digital Transformation, as well as other course units related to agile methodologies, marketing, innovation, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation.

His academic journey began with the Technical Programme in Management Information Systems at EsproMinho, which he completed with upper secondary education equivalence. He subsequently completed the Technological Specialisation Programme in Multimedia Product Development at the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave and also obtained the Certificate of Pedagogical Competence.

He attended the first year of the Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Informatics at the School of Technology of the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave. During this period, he was elected student representative of the School of Technology on the institution’s General Council, an experience that contributed to the development of his representation, leadership, and academic participation skills.

In 2016, he completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Multimedia at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro. He continued his studies by undertaking the Master’s Degree in Marketing Management at IPAM — the Portuguese Institute of Marketing Administration, in Porto, where he developed the dissertation entitled “The Intention to Use Augmented Reality in E-Commerce — The Case of IKEA Place”, which was awarded a grade of 17 out of 20. This work established a connection between marketing, e-commerce, consumer behaviour, user experience, and immersive technologies (augmented reality), areas that continue to play a significant role in his scientific activity.

As a researcher at the ALGORITMI Research Centre, he has been involved in research and technological development projects carried out in collaboration with the business and industrial sectors. These include the Factory of the Future project, developed within the framework of the collaboration between the University of Minho and Bosch Car Multimedia, and the NORTE 86 — Integrated and Innovative Solutions for People’s Well-Being in Complex Urban Centres project.

His academic and scientific activity is characterised by an interdisciplinary approach situated at the intersection of computer science, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, spatial computing, marketing, user experience, and digital transformation. His research seeks to understand how emerging technologies can be designed, evaluated, and integrated into real-world contexts, considering not only their technical aspects but also the perceptions, emotions, behaviours, and intentions of users.

From a professional and business perspective, he has gained experience in the fields of information technology, communication, marketing, and training. He completed internships at the information technology companies Inforlink and Deltabyte, in Braga, and worked as a public relations professional, marketing professional, and trainer in the fields of marketing and information technology. This experience enables him to combine academic knowledge with a practical understanding of organisational needs and innovation processes.

Throughout his career, he has also remained connected to social and community initiatives, having cooperated with the Portuguese Food Bank Against Hunger. In sport, he was a member of the school badminton team at Escola EB 2,3 de Nogueira and was a registered dance sport athlete with the Portuguese Dance Sport Federation. He represented the Ricardo Abelhas Dance Academy and the Braga Dance Sport Association, achieving, in the Junior 2 Beginner category, third place in the Portuguese Cup, fourth place in the national ranking, and fifth place in the National Championship. He also participated in international competitions representing Portugal.

His current academic role at the University of Minho and the University of Maia enables him to combine technological experience, scientific research, and pedagogical expertise. In his teaching activity, he favours educational methodologies centred on projects, problem-solving, experimentation, and the practical application of knowledge. Through the course units he teaches, he seeks to prepare students for the challenges of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and emerging technologies, promoting the critical, ethical, creative, and responsible use of technology in scientific, business, and social contexts.