Between 13 and 17 October, the José de Guimarães International Arts Centre (CIAJG) hosted the 2nd edition of Techstars Startup Week Guimarães, a leading event in innovation and entrepreneurship.

For five days, entrepreneurs, students, investors and anyone interested in innovation and entrepreneurship had the opportunity to participate in lectures, round tables, hackathons and networking events.

More than forty speakers were present, sharing their experiences, challenges and lessons learned, helping to inspire and empower all participants.

Among the students, alumni, and faculty members of the School of Engineering participating in this edition were To Be Green, Bruno Lopes, António Dinis, and Ana Carolina Peixoto, winner of the Axios-Care Pitch Competition, among several other start-ups linked to EEUM. The School of Engineering was also represented by its Vice-President, Professor Hélder Puga, who participated as a judge in the Axios-Care competition.

The ACA Group, in partnership with Techstars Startup Week Guimarães, the Municipality of Guimarães, and the School of Engineering at UMinho, also held the ACAth[ON] Challenge—an open challenge—to find innovative solutions to real problems in the areas of construction, water, and the environment, as part of the ACA Innovation Challenge open innovation programme. This competition ended on 30 October and involved the participation of three multidisciplinary teams from EEUM, with students from various engineering fields.