Monday, 7/31/2017
Interview cycle to the
members of the EEUM’s Advisory Council. In this edition, Carlos Ribas, Technical
Manager of Bosch Car Multimédia Portugal.
The Advisory Council of the School of Engineering of the University of
Minho (EEUM) is the consultative body to advise the School’s government bodies
regarding strategic definition subjects. Composed of nine personalities of
recognised merit in the fields of their activity, these members have the
mission to advise the School on issues related to pedagogical, scientific and
interaction with society activities. In this edition, we spoke with Carlos
Ribas, Technical Manager of Bosch Car Multimédia Portugal in Braga.
How important is it to be
a member of the EEUM’s Advisory Council?
It is extremely important to belong to this consultative body, because
it allows to understand how the School [of Engineering] and the University
work. It also allows us to be aware of the interfaces that UMinho has, such as,
for instance, the Centre for Computer Graphics (CCG) and the Pole for
Innovation in Polymer Engineering (PIEP). Living in a more industrial and consumer-oriented
world also helps us to explain to the EEUM which are the market needs, in order
to adapt programmes’ syllabus to the reality of this market.
The UMinho is a modern university and very open to discussion.
Therefore, I believe we could not have a better partner. We have an excellent
relationship, we discuss programmes, contents and ways of working. This constant
sharing between the academic and the business/industrial communities is very
important.
Overall, which are the
contributions of an external member to this Advisory Council?
In the meetings of the Advisory Council we are informed on how the EEUM
actuates, which are the difficulties the School faces, which are its
distinctive characteristics and what we can bring to its enrichment as external
partners. As external members, we try to articulate a dialogue that brings
added value to both parties.
What is the balance of the
evolution of the EEUM in recent years, under the vision of the current Advisory
Council?
The partnership with the
EEUM has been very positive. Bosch’s relationship with the University is based
on a very strong cooperation. We have a series of very large projects underway.
The innovation projects we had in the past, the present ones and the new
projects we are preparing are the best example for this capacity of working
together. I highlight the DONE Lab, which is a laboratory within the UMinho,
which is
also not very common in Portugal. We also have a supplier development
programme that can reach an investment of 150 million euros, which will benefit
Portuguese suppliers.
The Bosch-UMinho
partnership is seen as strategic by both entities. In what direction will this
partnership evolve?
Apart from the innovation projects, collaborative projects and the
supplier development programme, we would like the University to continue to
support us in the numerous projects we are developing in the automotive,
autonomous driving and Industry 4.0. I believe there is still a lot to explore in
this industry, especially in digitalisation, machine learning and data mining.
We know where we want to go and it is our goal to evolve not only in Portugal
but also to take Bosch Braga around the world together with the EEUM.
What is the impact of this
partnership in the surrounding region, both academic and R&D&I levels?
Thanks to innovation and development programmes, we have succeeded in
projects that will increase the productive and non-productive area of Bosch. In
the development area, we are more than 300 people in Braga, around 500 in
Portugal. My ambition is to reach the 1000 employees dedicated to innovation and
development at Bosch in Portugal. In addition to what I just mentioned, we have
projects in the start-up phase that will be carried out in the new building,
starting in October/November 2018.
From the perspective of
the company you represent as a member of the Advisory Council, which are the
advantages in welcoming EEUMs’ students?
In innovation projects, trainees will do something new by participating
in a development and innovation team and seeing the results applied on a
day-to-day basis. I believe this is something that engages a student. After a
product is developed and launched in the marketplace, we usually keep the employees
who participated in this process, because they already have the know-how we
need.
Overall, we have been successful in this level and we are very pleased
with the employees’ performance who stayed with Bosch. I believe that the
students coming from the EEUM in these conditions have an advantage, as the
company is no more than the result of the people who work in it.
In this context, are we
talking about a specific collaboration of the students with Bosch Car
Multimédia Portugal, or an integration in the company’s staff?
We are looking for people capable of feeling passionate about our
projects and to live them intensively every day, with a lot of dedication,
potential to acquire knowledge, great resilience, people who integrate our
teams easily and who have the availability we need. I am sure they will be very
satisfied with their integration in the fantastic team of Bosch.
+ info: http://www.bosch.pt
