The Southern Region Engineers Association has opened registrations for the 36th edition of the Young Engineer Innovation Award, an initiative that distinguishes innovative projects developed by young engineering professionals.
Created in 1990, the Young Engineer Innovation Award, known as PIJE, has more than three decades of history and is once again held under the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Republic.
According to the Order of Engineers in the Southern Region, the initiative “reinforces support for the new generation of engineers with the biggest initiative to distinguish young innovation in engineering in Portugal”.
The award is aimed at young engineers, full members of the Order of Engineers, aged up to 35 years, regardless of the region of registration. Candidate projects must be innovative and have practical applicability.
Prizes reach 10 thousand euros
The top three winners receive monetary prizes of 10,000, 5,000 and 2,500 euros, respectively. Honorable mentions may also be awarded.
In the case of co-authored projects, the prize amount will be divided between the authors. In addition to the cash prize, the winners will have access to a free annual membership at Engineers Hub, an OERS innovation space developed in partnership with Unicorn Factory Lisboa.
The Order of Engineers in the Southern Region states that this space could allow the winners to put the distinguished projects into practice, reinforcing the connection between innovation, engineering and concrete application of solutions.
António Carias de Sousa, president of OERS, states that “PIJE reflects OERS’ commitment to the future of engineering. We believe that it is essential to distinguish innovation, and create the conditions for its development. At a time when Portugal is facing decisive challenges, from the energy transition to digital transformation, supporting young engineers is a direct investment in the country’s technical capacity and progress.”
Applications open until December
Registration for the 36th edition of PIJE must be made by December 31, 2026. The complete regulations and registration form are available on the Young Engineer Innovation Award registration page.
The potential of the prize is also highlighted by former winners. Madalena Ramos Cilínio, winner of the 1st prize in 2025 with the project of an adaptive method for intelligent detection of anomalies in mobile networks, considers that the distinction had an impact on her trajectory.
“Receiving 1st place in PIJE 2025 represented a very significant recognition of the work I have been developing in the area of Artificial Intelligence. This award had a very positive impact on my trajectory, reinforcing the motivation to continue deepening the work in an area that arouses great interest in me and in which I believe there is great potential for innovation.”
It is one of the five regions that make up the Order of Engineers and has around 34 thousand members. It is headquartered in Lisbon and has delegations in the districts of Évora, Faro, Portalegre, Beja, Santarém and Setúbal, as well as a hub in Sines.
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