João Lucas

From experience in the pharmaceutical industry to innovation at UIP

By Carolina Pronto

João Lucas, a native of the district of Santarém, Portugal, studied at Lusófona University at the Industrial Engineering and Management degree course between 2016 and 2022. The alumni is currently a Maintenance Engineer at the pharmaceutical company Hovione and is also responsible for the UIP (Pilot Industrial Unit) laboratory at the Faculty of Engineering, University Center of Lisbon.

He began his academic journey on the level IV Technical-Vocational Course as a Maintenance Technician in 2010. This course opened the door to the Food Industry, where he immersed himself for six years, growing not only professionally, but also as a person. He then started as a student worker on the Mechatronics Technician course, level V, completing it in 2014.

The year 2016 brought significant changes. João Lucas left his hometown, family and friends in Santarém to move to Lisbon to pursue his studies in Industrial Engineering and Management at the Faculty of Engineering at Lusófona University. That same year, he took his first steps in the Pharmaceutical Industry when he joined Hovione, which he characterizes as a new and challenging experience. He currently works as a Mechanical Maintenance Engineer in Hovione's Engineering & Maintenance department.

Working and studying simultaneously is never easy, especially when it comes to a demanding course like Industrial Engineering and Management. João Lucas, however, faced this challenge with resilience and willpower. He also owes his success to the personality values he received from his family and his personal experiences.

For João Lucas, the EGI course contributed to his training in the area through the following aspects: "The EGI course is a very complete course because it doesn't just focus on one area of training, but on several areas of teaching which makes the course very complete and thus damages different opportunities in terms of career paths. [...]" "[...] It gave me good tools to deal with various day-to-day situations/problems."

To work in the maintenance area, João Lucas highlights the following subjects that help him in his work: Mechanical Technology, Maintenance Management, Automation and Robotics, Quality Control, Technical Installations. Furthermore, the subject of Metals Engineering, which was particularly important, especially for the Pharmaceutical Industry as well as the Food Industry, as they have to be aware of which materials to use, because they deal with people's health and food.

At the Faculty of Engineering in Lisbon, João is responsible for the UIP (Pilot Industrial Unit), designed to brew beer and serve as a laboratory for the Industrial Engineering and Management degree course, with the aim of giving students their first contact with the equipment/processes that exist in the industry. The engineer says that the laboratory played a significant role in his practical training. Revitalizing inoperable equipment and giving students hands-on experience has been a rewarding part of his journey. He believes that the combination of theory and practice is vital to prepare future professionals for the challenges of the job market.

The engineer emphasizes the importance of UIP for the students' education:

"UIP is a very technological laboratory, which makes the difference between other types of laboratories, because investing in technology paves the way for improving competitiveness, as well as for innovation in the subjects taught in it." João Lucas has worked hard to ensure that the UIP is used by teachers. He focuses on improving processes in terms of both technology and sustainability. And every year, more practical classes are taught in the laboratory.

We wish João Lucas a lot of success and projects to come.

Reviewed by: Prof. Raphaela Vidal