Director of FCT wins CIO of the Year award

(available only in Portuguese)

Ana Neves, head of the Information Society Department, was named European Digital Leader of the Year by CIONET, Europe's largest community of information technology executives. Twenty-three names from eight countries were nominated for the award, which recognizes the work done by CIOs to achieve their institutions' goals.

The Information Society Department of the Foundation for Science and Technology was created in 2012, when the FCT merged with UMIC – Agency for the Knowledge Society. It supports the implementation of INCoDe 2030 – an integrated public policy action dedicated to strengthening digital skills, coordinates the Safe Internet Center, responsible for the Alerta and Internet Segura hotlines, manages the Access Unit, which aims to enhance digital accessibility for all, and supports Open Access in Science implementation policies, with the goal that knowledge financed by all should benefit all.

Ana Neves is the second Portuguese person to be honored in eight editions of the CIO of the Year award. Nuno Miller, former CIO of Farfetch, was the first to bring the award to Portugal in 2014. In 2018, Stefan Würtemberger, Digital Director at RENZ GmbH, Germany, was also honored in the European Digital Innovator of the Year category; Jaime Sanz García, IT Director at Correos, Spain, in the European CIO of the Year, Public Sector category; Emiliano Sorrenti, Chief Information Officer at Aeroporti di Roma, Italy, in the European CIO of the Year, Regional Responsibility category; and Bouke Hoving, Executive VP of Networks and IT at KPN, Netherlands, in the European CIO of the Year, Global Responsibility category.