The University of Minho was distinguished with the “Science and Academy Award”, awarded by the Portuguese technology company Quidgest, as part of its 12th Annual Q-Day Congress, held on September 12 at Culturgest in Lisbon. The award values studies by this academy on projects involving Quidgest’s Genio software, including productivity analyses.

The award was received by João Varajão, professor at the School of Engineering of UMinho (EEUM), representing the Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, Eugénio Campos Ferreira. “UMinho is very grateful for this recognition, which reflects a three-year cooperation in teaching, research and dissemination, carried out in particular within the activities of the Department of Information Systems” (DSI-EEUM), he said at the ceremony.

In this context, the course unit of Modeling and Automatic Generation of Software was created, which includes trainers from Quidgest and serves the Integrated Master of Engineering in Information Systems Management (MIEGSI) and Master of Science in Information Systems (MSI). “This optional curricular unit, focused on low code (quasi no code) development, complements the training of our students”, he stressed. João Varajão also thanked the commitment of João Paulo Carvalho, Álvaro Damas, Carlos Costa, and other Quidgest employees, in the various initiatives, which include webinars, talks and brainstorming actions.

“This is another important element of the innovation effort made at UMinho in the context of teaching in technologies and information systems, especially in organizational development based on information technologies,” said the director of the DSI and full professor João Álvaro Carvalho. The professor stressed the importance of this paradigm of software production and its impact on the management of information systems projects in the future.

Born in 1988, the multinational Quidgest is a pioneer in modeling and automatic generation of software based on artificial intelligence, with recognized clients. The next big revolution in the software industry should be led by tools that multiply the productivity of professionals in this area. EEUM wants to be at the forefront in terms of technical and scientific know-how, directly connected to the market, seeking to demystify the role of the new generation of software developers in companies and institutions.

+Info: quidgest.com, www.dsi.uminho.pt, www.eng.uminho.pt