SITES is proud to celebrate the successful completion of the internship of Gonçalo Duarte Leal Ribeiro Fernandes da Silva, who joined us from the Brussels School of Governance as part of the #SITESfutureTalents programme.
Over his internship period, Gonçalo demonstrated exceptional commitment, curiosity, and passion for European research and innovation. His journey at SITES showcased a strong capacity to adapt quickly to multidisciplinary work, understand complex EU frameworks, and actively contribute to our mission of connecting policy, innovation, and sustainability.
🎓 From Classroom to Horizon Europe
Gonçalo fully immersed himself in the world of EU-funded research, gaining experience in:
- Fast onboarding into EU project environments
- Understanding policy frameworks & strategic readings
- Learning project budgeting logic
- Proposal structure fundamentals
- Basics of consortium coordination
His dedication reflects the professionalism and ambition of a new generation of European innovators.
🛡️ Exploring Defence & Security Topics
Gonçalo dived into emerging EU priorities, with a particular focus on:
- Defence and security research topics
- Key research programmes
- Stakeholder mapping across Europe
- Daily workflows within innovation-driven organisations
This exposure broadened his understanding of Europe’s strategic challenges and opportunities.
🌐 Conferences & Events Attended
During his internship, Gonçalo actively participated in several high-level EU events, including:
- Exploring the New Horizon Europe Proposal: What’s Next for EU Research?
- Shaping Europe’s Future Through Regional Innovation
- Designing the European Innovation Act Together
- EU Knowledge Valorisation Talk
- European R&I for Enhanced Competitiveness – NTNU Conference
These experiences allowed him to gain firsthand insights into current EU innovation strategies and policy priorities.
👏 A Message from SITES
Gonçalo made a strong contribution to SITES through his professionalism, eagerness to learn, and his proactive involvement in research and innovation topics. His achievements reflect the values we champion at SITES — excellence, curiosity, and European collaboration.
We thank Gonçalo for his energy, dedication, and positive spirit, and we look forward to seeing where his bright career path leads next.
🌟 Well done, Gonçalo — you will always be part of the #SITESfutureTalents community!
