At the opening of the ceremony, Luís Tiago Ferreira, head of E-REDES’ Open Data initiative, highlighted the portal’s contribution to academic research and the development of innovative solutions in the field of energy transition, emphasising the importance of recognising the work carried out within the academic community. The event also featured guest speaker Franck Carassus, CEO North America and co-founder of Huwise, who highlighted the international significance of the Open Data portal and the role of digital platforms in enabling students, local authorities and businesses to make the most of information.

The projects recognised in this edition:

• 1st Prize (€6,000):
  Catarina Silva (Instituto Superior Técnico) – “Drivers of Self-Consumption and Electric Mobility in Portuguese Municipalities: Econometric and Machine Learning Insights”. Research into the factors driving self-consumption and electric mobility in Portugal, using econometrics and machine learning.
• 2nd Prize (€4,000):
  Henrique Rica (Universidade de Évora) – A simulation model for the technical and economic management of renewable energy communities, applied to the University of Évora and the Évora Red Cross.
• 3rd Prize (€2,000):
  Rafael Gonçalves (Universidade de Aveiro) – “Machine Learning as a Service for Renewable Energy Communities”. A machine learning-based solution for optimising renewable energy communities.
• Honourable Mention:
  Ana Sofia Rodrigues (ISCTE) – “Determinants of UPAC Implementation in Portugal: A Multivariate and Cluster Analysis”. A study of the factors influencing the uptake of self-consumption and recommendations for public policy.
• Runner-up:
  Miguel Valadares (ISCTE) – “Exploratory Data Analysis of Self-Consumption Units in Portugal’s Energy Transition”. Analysis of the dynamics of self-consumption adoption in Portugal.

The event concluded with a speech by João Martins de Carvalho, a member of the E-REDES Board of Directors, who reaffirmed E-REDES’ commitment to continuing to innovate and share relevant information with the community, challenging the winners to promote the initiative and encourage new applications. He also confirmed that the initiative will continue, with a third edition planned for next year.