Catarina Pydzinska Azevedo

I'm a Senior Project Manager / Senior Research & Innovation Consultant at INOVA+, currently holding the position of the EU HUB Business Developer. INOVA+ is a leader in Europe in the field of Innovation Services and one of top 20 SMEs in terms of participation on international innovation and research programmes.

Along my +15 years collaboration with the company, I have previously had the role of Research & Technology Director and for many years managed the department of international projects at INOVA+. I coordinated numerous projects and studies, especially ones funded by the European Commission and developed as services for its agencies. The main fields of my expertise include innovation policies, innovation and research support measures, promotion of science & research, entrepreneurship support, urban sustainability, climate resilience, management of cross-national networks and research collaborations, public engagement, and stakeholder consultation. I jave a proven record of success across diverse initiatives, and strong leadership skills, including effective communication, risk management, and adaptability. Nowadays I'm leveraging past experiences not only to drive key projects to successful completion, but also to establish new meaningful partnerships & stakeholder relationships, and to foster existing collaborations.

I also have experience acting as a trainer, jury member and project/proposal evaluator in various European initiatives. I hold a Master’s degree in Management from Warsaw School of Economics, as well as a diploma of European Studies. Currently I'm completing a PhD in Sociology at the University of Porto (on how participation and citizen science can contribute to achievement & monitoring of SDGs/SDG.11).