Speakers
The Path of Innovation · 10th Edition
Cláudio de Jesus
Chairman of the Board of Águas do Tejo Atlântico
Senior executive with over 30 years of experience in the water, sanitation, waste management and energy sectors, holding leadership roles within the Águas de Portugal Group.
He led strategic and international projects funded by multilateral institutions (World Bank, AfDB, EIB, ADB and CAF), and managed operations in 24 countries in Africa, Asia and South America, with a special focus on Portuguese-speaking countries.
He is recognised for his expertise in investment management, innovation, sustainability and international development. He was also a chairman and a board member in several AdP group companies, overseeing teams of up to 240 staff. Cláudio de Jesus holds degrees in Environmental Engineering, Sanitary Engineering, Management, and Development Policy (SciencesPo Executive Education, Paris).
Currently, he is the Chairman and CEO of Águas do Tejo Atlântico and Chairman of the NGO TESE.
Constanza Rosa
Business Development & Solutions Executive at AM-Team
Constanza Rosa, Responsible for Business Development & Solutions at AM-Team, combines technical expertise, digital modelling, and solution development to address complex challenges in the water sector.
Her work focuses on translating technical needs into practical and innovative solutions for water and wastewater treatment. She is an Environmental Engineer specialized in water technologies and holds a Master of Science in Environmental Technology and Engineering.
Session
Innovation in Action · 14h50
Filipa Nunes
PhD Student in Environmental Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico
Filipa Nunes is a Ph.D. student in Environmental Engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the NOVA School of Science and Technology and a master’s degree in Biotechnology from the Instituto Superior Técnico. Currently, her doctoral research interests are related to environmental microbiology, focusing on the use of treated, reused water for crop irrigation and its impact on human health.
Session
Innovation in Action · 14h50
Giorgos Sachinis
Director of Strategy and Innovation at EYDAP
Giorgos Sachinis is the Head of Strategy and Innovation of EYDAP, the Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company. He is a Board Member of Water Europe and a member of the Ad-hoc Task Group on Water Scarcity and Droughts within the EU's Common Implementation Strategy (CIS).
He has worked in EYDAP, since 2004, and has served in the Policy Advisory Committee of Water Europe and the Steering Committee of GWOPA UN-Habitat. He is a Civil and Environmental Engineer (MSc UCAL Berkeley, BSc Duke University).
Joana Baptista
Council member of the Lisbon City Council
Joana Baptista was born and raised in Oeiras, the municipality where she began her professional career. She holds a Law degree and has further qualifications in management, leadership, and digital transformation. She started her career as a legal adviser in the Litigation and Legal Support Office of Oeiras Municipal Council and later served as Head of Division in the Municipal Police and Civil Protection Department from 2008 to 2017.
In 2017, she was elected Municipal Councillor of Oeiras, a position she held until 2025. During her tenure, she was responsible for the portfolios of Municipal Works, Environment and Quality of Life, Civil Protection, Municipal Police, and Mobility and Transport. At the same time, she served as Chair of the Board of Directors of SIMAS (the Intermunicipal Water and Sanitation Services of Oeiras and Amadora).
In 2025, she was elected Municipal Councillor of Lisbon, assuming responsibility for Public Space (planning, maintenance and public works), Urban Hygiene, and Green Areas. Operational by vocation and energetic by nature, she often trades the office for the streets of the city. Because it is out in the field that she feels most at home.
Mother to Caetana and Martim, Joana Baptista is a firm believer in bringing people together and a tireless advocate for the public good.
Session
Opening Session · 10h00
Joana Pires
PhD Student in Environmental Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico
Joana Pires is a first-year PhD student in Environmental Engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the NOVA School of Science and Technology and a Master’s degree in Microbiology from IST.
Her doctoral research focuses on the impact of climate change on public health, with particular emphasis on wastewater-based surveillance. The primary objective of her research is to develop a robust machine learning model capable of identifying patterns in wastewater that may help anticipate future disease outbreaks.
Session
Innovation in Action · 14h50
João Campos
MSc Candidate in Environmental Engineering (IST) · SOLLAGUA Researcher
João Campos is a master’s degree candidate in Environmental Engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) and a researcher on the European SOLLAGUA project. His work focuses on the transition to a circular water economy, with a special emphasis on the reuse of wastewater in the agricultural sector. The research is being conducted at the Zambujeira WWTP Living Lab, where the technical performance and feasibility of Nature-Based Solutions (Constructed Wetlands) are being evaluated in comparison to intensive systems, ensuring compliance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2020/741.
Session
Innovation in Action · 14h50
João Manuel Esteves
Secretary of State for the Environment
João Manuel Esteves holds a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science and a master's degree in Business Administration. He served as Mayor of Arcos de Valdevez, chaired the Co-management Commission and the Strategic Council of Peneda-Gerês National Park, and was a member of the Board of Directors of ADAM - Águas do Alto Minho.
He also lectured at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (IPVC) and the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (IPCA).
Since June 2025, he has served as Secretary of State for the Environment in Portugal's 25th Constitutional Government.
Jorge Vala
Mayor of Porto de Mós
José Jorge Couto Vala has been Mayor of Porto de Mós since 2017. With extensive professional experience in the banking sector, he has focused his municipal leadership on sustainable development and the promotion and enhancement of Porto de Mós.
Leonor Pinheiro
R&D&I Department Technician, Águas do Tejo Atlântico
Leonor Pinheiro is a technician at R&D and Innovation Department at Águas do Tejo Atlântico. She holds a degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Lisbon and completed her academic studies in the field of photovoltaic energy research at the CeNTI research centre.
She is currently involved in projects related to water reuse and the promotion of sustainable solutions for water resource management, contributing to initiatives such as the SOLLAGUA project.
Session
Innovation in Action · 14h50
Luísa Leite Faria
Global Digital Acceleration at EDP
Luísa Faria is an Acceleration Transformation Senior Specialist in EDP's Global Digital Acceleration team, contributing to digital transformation initiatives and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence across the EDP Group.
Prior to joining EDP, she worked on strategic consulting and transformation projects at NTT DATA, where she supported organisations from different sectors in defining and implementing innovation and value-creation initiatives.
Currently, her work focuses on accelerating AI adoption, tracking value realization, and driving the business impact of digital initiatives.
Manuel Gonçalves
Security Intelligence Service
Manuel Gonçalves holds a Law degree and has completed postgraduate studies in Islamic Studies and Security Management and Leadership. He has served as a Senior Intelligence Officer at the Portuguese Security Intelligence Service (SIS) since 1999, working in the fields of counterterrorism, counter-extremism, and counterintelligence.
He currently coordinates the Krítica Programme, a SIS awareness and outreach initiative aimed at enhancing the protection of essential service providers, critical infrastructure, and nationally sensitive sites against terrorism and sabotage.
Nadine Zerrini
Innovation at DC Water
Nadine brings over 20 years of experience spanning workforce development, organizational effectiveness, innovation, and AI and data strategy across the public, private, and higher education sectors. She holds a Master's in Business Management and a Certificate in AI and Data Strategy from Harvard University, combining rigorous management training with advanced capabilities in emerging technologies.
At DC Water, Nadine leads enterprise innovation and AI initiatives, translating strategy into actionable roadmaps, governance models, and workforce readiness for digital transformation. Her work centers on moving the organization from AI ambition to execution by aligning people, operating models, and decision-making with evolving data and technology capabilities.
Piers Clark
Founder of Isle Group (keynote)
Piers was the Founder and Chairman (2010 - 2024) of the Isle Group Ltd. Isle is a technical, specialist, water consultancy, with offices in the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, the USA, Australia, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. Isle works with over 350 utilities around the world helping them identify and adopt new technology.
Piers was previously the Managing Director for the $1bn private equity fund Global Water Development Partners (GWDP), a Blackstone portfolio company. From 2010-14, he was the Commercial Director at Thames Water, the largest of the UK water companies. Piers was responsible for all of Thames Water's non-regulated business activities.
Piers also served as Interim Asset Management Director for Thames Water. Prior to joining Thames Water, Piers was Managing Director of Mouchel's Regulated Industries leading a team of 3,000 staff providing engineering consultancy and operational maintenance services in the water, energy, environment and rail sectors.
In 2006, Piers helped establish an innovative funding mechanism for technology companies, called TAG (Technology Approval Group). TAG bridges the gap between venture capital investors and the water company end-users and has resulted in over $2bn being invested in water-related cleantech companies in recent years.
Piers has a PhD in Civil Engineering.
Rita Lourinho
Head of the R&D&I Department at Águas do Tejo Atlântico
Rita Lourinho leads the Research, Development and Innovation Department at Águas do Tejo Atlântico. Holding a degree in Environmental Engineering, with a specialization in Sanitary Engineering, from NOVA University Lisbon, she coordinates research and innovation projects with a particular focus on addressing challenges in the water sector and implementing innovative solutions.
She leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for managing and monitoring RDI initiatives, ensuring the successful delivery of project objectives and outcomes. Her work focuses on knowledge transfer, the promotion of research and innovation projects, and the development of proposals for innovation funding opportunities. She is also responsible for the Innovation Management System at Águas do Tejo Atlântico.
Roman Zuravliov
Chief Treatment Process Engineer and co-founder at BIO-RAN Co
Roman Zuravliov is the Chief Treatment Process Engineer and co-founder at BIO-RAN Co. He holds Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) at Viilnius University and multiple programmes at TU Delft in wastewater treatment.
Currently responsible as Chief Treatment Process Engineer for implementing Ydro Process® technology in 44 countries.
Session
Innovation in Action · 14h50
Rui Braga
CISO at Águas do Norte
Rui Braga has been working in the Information Technology sector since 1997, having begun his career with the US-based company Genesis II Networks. He currently serves as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and is responsible for the Processing Infrastructure, Information Security and Cybersecurity divisions at Águas do Norte.
He played a key role in the architecture and technical component of the European Water Cyber Security Plan (CEF-TELECOM) project, which drove the implementation of the Águas do Norte Security Operations Centre (SOC) and the organisation’s integration into the National CSIRT Network. He also participates in ISAC ÁguasPT and in European cooperation and information-sharing initiatives on cybersecurity within the water sector.
Rui Braga has been a speaker at both national and international events focusing on cybersecurity and digital resilience, including a European webinar organised by the European Commission, ENISA and HaDEA on the evolution of Security Operations Centres, as well as water sector conferences organised by the International Water Association (IWA) and the Portuguese Water and Waste Services Association (APDA).
Sérgio Trindade
Director of Information Systems and Digital Solutions and CISO at Águas do Tejo Atlântico
Before joining the ADP Group, Sérgio Trindade worked in IT consultancy and held international responsibilities across several countries in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and pharmaceutical sectors, gaining extensive experience in multinational environments and managing operations across diverse geographical regions.
In the field of cybersecurity, he is Board Member of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). He is also a founding member of ISAC Água, an initiative developed in partnership with the National Cybersecurity Centre (CNCS), which brings together cybersecurity specialists from the water sector to promote knowledge sharing, best practices and collaboration in the protection of critical infrastructure and critical services.
In the area of digital governance and leadership, Sérgio is Vice-President of CIONET Portugal. CIONET is an international community that brings together CIOs and other technology and digital transformation leaders across Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Additionally, in the fields of audit, risk and privacy, he is a Board Member of ISACA Portugal. ISACA is a global professional association and international community of experts and certification professionals in these domains.
Silvério Regalado
Secretary of State for Spatial Planning and Local Government
Born in 1979 in Soza, Vagos, Silvério Regalado holds a degree in Management and a postgraduate qualification in Marketing from ISEG. His professional career has included roles at Deloitte, the Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo de Águeda, a cooperative banking institution, as well as positions in academia and local associations.
He was a member of Vagos Municipal Assembly (2002-2009), a councillor (2009-2013), and Mayor of Vagos (2013-2024), where he chaired the District Civil Protection Committee, the Board of Directors of Mais Vagos and the Fiscal Board of Águas da Região de Aveiro.
He was also non-executive director of SIMRIA and AdCL - Águas do Centro Litoral. He served as a Member of the Assembly of the Republic and as Secretary of State for Local Government and Spatial Planning in the 24th Constitutional Government. He currently holds the position of Secretary of State for Local Government and Spatial Planning in the 25th Constitutional Government.