About the talk: 

Advanced numerical algorithms and high-performance computing have made simulation a key driver in engineering design. The Computational Rheology Lab (CRheo Lab) at the Institute for Polymers and Composites (IPC), University of Minho develops high-fidelity modelling tools for polymer processing, largely implemented in the open-source OpenFOAM® framework. This webinar presents IPC/UMinho’s research and industry collaboration in computational rheology, showcasing how customised OpenFOAM® solvers support predictive modelling, process optimisation, and polymer processing equipment design, illustrated with practical examples.

About the speaker: 

J. Miguel Nóbrega is an Associate Professor at the Polymer Engineering Department within the University of Minho and member of the Institute for Polymers and Composites. He earned his PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Minho in 2004. He serves as the editor for both the OpenFOAM Wiki and the OpenFOAM Journal. Additionally, he leads the Digital Transformation in Manufacturing initiative within the MIT Portugal program. He is a founding member of the Iberian OpenFOAM Technology Users Group and an active participant on the OpenFOAM Workshop Committee. His research focuses on three interconnected domains: product development, polymer processing, and material rheology. He specialises in the development of computational rheology tools that are essential for modeling the behavior of complex materials across various manufacturing processes. His contributions span multiple sectors, including healthcare, textiles, sensing and monitoring, construction, and mobility, where he actively engages in product design and manufacturing. By utilising the open-source computational library OpenFOAM as a foundation for numerical developments, he frequently applies advanced simulation techniques to inform decision-making in industrial design and manufacturing.

About the moderator:

António Sousa is an Associate Professor at the Department of Informatics of the University of Minho and a Senior Researcher at the High-Assurance Software Laboratory (HASLab) at INESC TEC, where he serves as Co-coordinator. His research interests focus on dependable distributed systems, with particular application to distributed database systems, large-scale distributed systems, cloud computing management, and high-performance computing — notably on topics related to the management and efficiency of HPC systems. He serves as Director of Operations of the EuroHPC Deucalion supercomputer, hosted by the National Center for Advanced Computing, and Portugal’s national HPC flagship infrastructure, playing a central role in its operation and strategic development. He has been involved in several European HPC projects, RISC2, EUROCC1 and 2 and currently in EPICURE and HANAMI.