Between March 27 and 29, the Técnico Innovation Center once again hosted TecStorm, celebrating its 10th edition with three days marked by creativity, technology, and collaboration. More than just a hackathon, the event continues to establish itself as a space where ideas take shape — From Concept to Creation — challenging students to turn vision into solutions with real impact.
For the sixth consecutive year, Noesis joined the initiative, reinforcing its connection to the academic ecosystem and the next generation of talent. The mentoring team, composed of José Gomes, Filipe Fonseca, Olga Carvalho, Abel Espírito Santo, Paulo Carlos, Nuria Lomba, and Márcio Carvalho, closely supported the teams throughout the entire journey, from the initial ideation phase to mentoring sessions and the final stage, providing strategic guidance, technical expertise, and critical thinking.
Preparation began even before the event, with participation in the TecStorm Roadshow. During this phase, José Gomes, Olga Carvalho, Filipe Fonseca, and João Montez, form our IT Operations and Cloud & Security areas, presented Project Phoenix, launching a demanding challenge: responding to a national cybersecurity crisis using artificial intelligence, anticipating the competition's level of complexity.
During the hackathon, participants developed solutions across Fintech, Mobility, Construction, Energy, and Connectivity, quickly moving from ideation to prototyping. In this context, the close collaboration between mentors and teams proved to be key. "Being close to so many teams with energy, creativity, and a drive to make things happen in entrepreneurship and innovation is truly inspiring. I leave this event not only inspired by the participants' talent, but also confident that the future is in good hands," shared Olga Carvalho.
Filipe Fonseca also highlights the importance of mentorship in this process: "TecStorm continues to establish itself as an important catalyst for talent and innovation," emphasizing the role of mentorship in transforming ideas into solutions with real-world applicability and in bridging academia and the business world.
The results reflected this joint effort. In the Energy category, the EvDcGrid team, mentored by Paulo Carlos, took first place. In Fintech, NetZero, supported by Márcio Carvalho, was the winner, while in Connectivity, ElderAI, guided by Filipe Fonseca, secured first place.
"Participating in TecStorm as a strategic mentor proved to be a highly valuable experience. It was inspiring to see young people with such a strong ability to innovate, collaborate, and turn ideas into solutions with real impact," said Márcio Carvalho.
For Paulo Carlos, TecStorm is "a true stage for innovation, where visions are born, limits are challenged, and tomorrow's leaders emerge."
Noesis remains committed to promoting innovation, supporting education, and empowering young talent through initiatives such as TecStorm. We look forward to continuing this journey and contributing to shaping the future of technology, one idea at a time.
