João Peças Lopes receives the highest professional recognition awarded by the Ordem dos Engenheiros

João Peças Lopes receives the highest professional recognition awarded by the Ordem dos Engenheiros

João Peças Lopes, Director of INESC TEC and Emeritus Professor at the University of Porto, received the highest professional qualification granted by the Ordem dos Engenheiros, OE - Portuguese Engineers’ Association): the Membro Conselheiro level.

21st October 2026

This title is not an honorary distinction or a one-off award, but the highest professional recognition of an engineer’s merit, experience and seniority in Portugal - and João Peças Lopes received this recognition in the field of Electrical Engineering.

“First, this distinction came as a surprise to me. However, it is ultimately a way to observe a long career serving the academia, through teaching and promoting fundamental and applied research into the electricity system, while following the evolution of Portugal’s electricity sector. This has involved contributing to and leading numerous projects on the mainland and in the islands, mainly related to integrating renewable energy sources into Portugal’s power grids,” said the INESC TEC’s Director.

The Ordem dos Engenheiros applies comprehensive criteria relating to time of service and career progression when awarding this qualification and recognising a member as a counsellor. The OE classifies the full members according to three cumulative qualification levels: Membro Efetivo, Membro Sénior and Membro Conselheiro. The latter reflects the highest level of professional progression and is reserved for engineers whose careers are regarded as a national or international reference in their field.