It was with immense pride and a sense of responsibility that I participated, as a judge, in the national final of Gen-E 2025 – Junior Achievement Portugal, a benchmark event in the youth innovation ecosystem, which took place at the emblematic Alfândega do Porto on May 27th.

This experience allowed me, with great honor, to represent the University of Maia and the University of Minho, contributing to the evaluation of innovative projects in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The event, promoted by Junior Achievement Portugal, brought together some of the most creative and entrepreneurial minds from secondary education in the country, with proposals that demonstrated not only technical expertise, but also a genuine concern for real societal problems — from sustainability and health to food and digital security.

During the evaluation session, I had the opportunity to get to know 10 finalist teams up close, whose projects surprised me with their level of maturity, applicability, and potential impact. I would like to highlight, with special appreciation, the teams that reached the podium:

• 1st Place – CropVision
  An excellent solution that combines drones, computer vision, and AI to monitor agricultural crops in real time, enabling the early detection of infections and contributing to the sustainability of the agricultural sector.
• 2nd Place – FIM
  A promising project that materializes a smart trash can, capable of automatically recognizing and separating waste through computer vision, promoting automated and effective recycling practices.
• 3rd Place – Solvex
  A proposal focused on the quality and safety of meal transportation, with practical solutions to minimize waste and improve the consumer experience on food delivery platforms.

The diversity and quality of the projects presented reinforce the importance of continuing to support and invest in entrepreneurial and technological education, in a world where AI is establishing itself as a transformative force.

I am deeply grateful to the Gen-E organization, to my fellow jury members — João Castro (Avanade) and Margarida Costa (SAP) — and to all the participants for the enthusiasm, dedication, and vision they demonstrated. It was, without a doubt, an inspiring and enriching journey.

Congratulations to all the finalist teams. The future is in good hands.

Here are some photos of the winning teams from the event: