The 2026 edition of STEM Women Congress Portugal placed one question at the centre of the conversation: how can Portugal move from having more STEM initiatives to creating greater, measurable and lasting impact for girls and women?

On October 22, the Pavilhão do Conhecimento – Ciência Viva in Lisbon hosted a new edition of STEM Women Congress Portugal, creating a space for dialogue on education, professional careers, technology, artificial intelligence, leadership and the future of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Hosted by Cindy Barardo, Event Project Manager at APDC, the Congress opened with welcome remarks from Pedro Russo, President of Ciência Viva, and Eva Diaz, CEO and Founder of Global STEM Women and STEM Women Congress.

From the beginning, the central message of the day was clear: progress requires more than isolated initiatives. It requires data, collaboration and an ecosystem capable of working across every stage of the STEM journey.

Understanding where Portugal stands

One of the key moments of the Congress was the presentation of the STEM Women Annual Report Portugal 2026 by Anna Ollé, Customer Success Account Manager at Microsoft and Vice-President of STEM Women Congress Portugal.

The report offers a detailed view of the initiatives currently supporting girls and women in STEM across Portugal and helps identify where progress is being made and where significant gaps remain.

This year’s analysis identified 53 initiatives, with 37 working in the Inspiration stage and 32 in the Career stage. Together, the initiatives reported 100,878 impacts during 2025, including 42,670 girls and young people aged 0 to 16.

Beyond the numbers, the report also highlighted recurring challenges affecting women throughout their STEM careers, including lack of role models, gender bias, impostor syndrome and unequal territorial access to opportunities.

The findings reinforced one of the core objectives of Global STEM Women: moving beyond counting initiatives towards understanding their reach, contribution and potential for long-term impact.

Universities and their role in changing the pipeline

The Universities Panel, moderated by Isabel Trancoso, Full Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico and Senior Researcher at INESC-ID, examined the role of higher education institutions in building a more inclusive STEM ecosystem.

The discussion brought together Catarina Silva, Noélia Correia, Susana Vieira and Maria João Guedes, representing different academic institutions and areas of expertise.

Their conversation addressed the importance of attracting more women into STEM studies while also creating the conditions for them to continue into research, academia, professional careers and leadership.

The discussion highlighted that universities are not simply entry points into STEM. They are critical environments where confidence, opportunity, professional networks and future career pathways are shaped.

Different perspectives on innovation, leadership and society

The Congress continued with a series of talks connecting STEM with health, leadership and broader social transformation.

Ana Sofia Silva, Brand Manager Adults at Danone Portugal, presented Patient Centricity em Investigação Nutricional, exploring the importance of placing people and their needs at the centre of research and innovation.

Later, Ana Carla Alves, Board Member and Co-Leader at Women in Tech Portugal and Country Manager at Women in Tech Brasil, presented O Desporto como Laboratório de Futuro, bringing a different perspective on how sport can become a space for experimentation, leadership, resilience and innovation.

These sessions reinforced the interdisciplinary nature of STEM and the importance of connecting technology and science with real human and societal challenges.

Ethics Courtroom: when innovation requires difficult choices

One of the most distinctive moments of STEM Women Congress Portugal was the Ethics Courtroom: O Protocolo María.

The session placed participants before a complex ethical scenario and invited two teams to defend different perspectives, encouraging debate around technology, responsibility, governance and the consequences of decision-making.

Team A was formed by Sónia Castro Ribeiro, Bárbara Miranda Lencastre, Teresa Costa Alves and Cristiani Cruz.

Team B brought together Carol Palombini, Carolina Flomenbaum and Madalena Costa.

Their arguments were assessed by a jury composed of Ariana Almeida, Miriam Santos, Dora Baptista and Raquel Aires Barros, with Sandra Fazenda, Director General at APDC and President of STEM Women Congress Portugal, acting as judge.

The format once again demonstrated why ethics must remain at the centre of technological development. Innovation cannot be evaluated only through efficiency or performance; it also requires accountability, transparency and an understanding of its impact on people.

Young people using technology to solve real problems

Education and youth participation also played an important role in the program through Apps for Good.

Matilde Buisel, Apps for Good Programme Manager at CDI Portugal, presented the initiative alongside educators and student teams working on projects designed to address real-world challenges through technology.

The session featured Helena Costa and the Fogo em Foco team from Agrupamento de Escolas de Aver-o-Mar, as well as Susana Vieira and Rosário Félix with the Noise in Schools team from Agrupamento de Escolas de Vialonga.

Their participation offered a concrete example of what STEM education can achieve when young people are given the tools to identify problems, develop solutions and understand that technology can be used to generate positive social impact.

Women Shaping Tech and recognition of impact

The Congress also included Women Shaping Tech, reinforcing the importance of recognizing and supporting initiatives that are actively contributing to greater participation, visibility and leadership of women in technology.

The event later returned to the Ethics Courtroom for the announcement of the award, led by Sandra Fazenda.

Recognition plays an important role within the STEM ecosystem: it gives visibility to people and organizations already creating change and helps successful initiatives become examples that others can adapt, replicate and scale.

Made possible through collaboration

STEM Women Congress Portugal 2026 was made possible thanks to the commitment and support of the organizations that continue to strengthen this growing ecosystem.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to our partners Ciência Viva, Danone, REN and CELFOCUS, and to our collaborators Ciência Viva, Unimagem, APDC and 250 Graus, for their support and contribution to making this edition possible.

Their involvement reflects the kind of cross-sector collaboration that is essential to creating lasting change and expanding opportunities for girls and women in STEM.

Building an ecosystem capable of creating lasting change

The Congress concluded with remarks from Carla Rodrigues, Secretary of State for Youth and Equality, reinforcing the institutional importance of creating more opportunities for girls and women across education, employment and leadership.

The 2026 edition of STEM Women Congress Portugal demonstrated that Portugal already has a strong and increasingly active community committed to gender equality in STEM.

The next challenge is to make that ecosystem more connected.

Schools, universities, companies, public institutions and civil society all influence different moments in a woman’s STEM journey. Sustainable change will depend on how effectively those actors work together.

Through the STEM Women Annual Report, the Ethics Courtroom, academic debate, corporate participation, educational projects and initiatives such as Women Shaping Tech, STEM Women Congress Portugal continues to create a space where evidence can become conversation, conversation can become collaboration and collaboration can become action.

Because increasing the number of women in STEM is only the beginning.

The real goal is to create an ecosystem where women can enter, remain, progress and lead.

📸 Explore the photo gallery from STEM Women Congress Portugal 2026:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/apdc/albums/72177720336290091/