Running together as a team – this was the idea that framed a recent interview for ECO’s “Retrato” with Inês Lynce, President of the Board of Directors at INESC‑ID, who shared her ambition for a national scientific landscape strengthened by deeper collaboration and collective progress.

During the conversation, the researcher addressed several themes, beginning with the most recent development: the upcoming launch of SAIL (Sustainable Artificial Intelligence Laboratory), set to begin in the coming months. She described it as a major step for responsible and sustainable AI in Portugal, recalling the collective joy that followed the project’s approval and the ambition it represents for everyone involved.

A central point of the interview was the researcher’s conviction that cooperation, within research teams, across institutions, and at national level, is essential for building stronger science and more impactful innovation. Much like in a marathon, she noted, scientific progress should be about reaching the finish line together.

Inês Lynce also reflected on her own leadership path, from early coordination roles at Instituto Superior Técnico to her current responsibilities at INESC‑ID and her shared presidency of the CMU Portugal Program with João Magalhães, highlighting how these experiences have shaped her perspective.

Retrato is an ECO section in which published daily during the month of August, highlighting the profile of a personality who distinguished themselves in the last year in Portugal.

Read the full piece here (in Portuguese)

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Photo: Hugo Amaral/ECO