The CARBYO project, developed as part of the Doctoral Programme in Governance, Knowledge, and Innovation of the University of Coimbra, was awarded an Honourable Mention at the 11th National Congress of Economists, held in April 2026 at Culturgest in Lisbon. The initiative was selected as a finalist in the EmpreendeEconomy programme, promoted by the Order of Economists.

Priscilla Estevão, an environmental analyst at the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), affiliated with Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, and a PhD candidate in Governance, Knowledge, and Innovation - a partnership between the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra (FEUC) and the Centre for Social Studies - received recognition for the CARBYO project, a proposal for territorial engagement aimed at innovative solutions to the challenges of climate and socio-environmental justice.

Under the theme Ongoing Transformations in the Global Economy: Challenges and Opportunities for Portugal and for Economists, the idea was selected as a finalist in the EmpreendeEconomy-Economy with Impact programme, promoted by the Order of Economists in partnership with the Gesbanha Group.

This recognition comes in the context of Priscilla Estevão’s participation - as leader of an experienced and multidisciplinary team - in EmpreendeEconomy, an entrepreneurial training programme. Structured over eleven training sessions between January and April 2026, the programme was aimed at university students, independent professionals, intrapreneurs, and higher education faculty, with the goal of equipping participants to generate and implement business ideas with a direct impact on the national economy.

CARBYO: Innovation and Social Impact Rooted in Coimbra Research

CARBYO emerged directly from doctoral research conducted at the Centre for Social Studies (CES) and the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra (FEUC), exploring the intersection of territorial governance, environmental markets, and social innovation in Portugal and Brazil. The award received by Priscilla Estevão at the 11th National Congress of Economists is a testament to the potential of rigorous academic research to generate concrete solutions to the major challenges of our time.
 

_05.05.2026