Joana Andrade is currently pursuing a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Coimbra. She is a researcher at the Centre for Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Processes (CEMMPRE), a research unit rated as “Excellent” in the latest evaluation by Portugal's Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). She holds both a Master’s degree (2023) and a Bachelor’s degree (2021) in Industrial and Management Engineering from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Coimbra. As part of her Master’s program, she participated in a five-month Erasmus+ exchange at the University of Trieste, Italy. During her academic journey, she was recognized among the top 5% of students at the University of Coimbra for the academic year 2018/2019. Since January 2024, Joana has been actively involved in the NEXUS research project, funded by Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), which focuses on the decarbonization of the Port of Sines—the largest maritime port in Portugal. As part of this work, she has authored conference papers, developed a conference poster, and delivered multiple presentations at conferences. In addition to her technical expertise, Joana has continuously developed her soft skills, including communication, organization, and time management, through participation in various extracurricular and volunteering activities. Notably, she has been involved in the event Creating ValEU organized by EIT Health, and the children's volunteer organization Liga dos Pequeninos. Between June and August 2021, Joana applied the 5S methodology to optimize the archive system of the Cartório Notarial de Bragança, improving the management, accessibility, and overall organization of its document storage. Joana also gained practical industry experience during her studies through a curricular internship at Kaizen Institute, a global consultancy firm specializing in continuous improvement methodologies. Her Master’s thesis, developed during this internship, focused on the development of an integrated model combining Hoshin Kanri and Six Sigma methodologies. This model enabled the partner organization to identify and eliminate waste, reduce defects, and improve processes, leading to significant cost reductions and an increase in profitability. This thesis resulted in a paper that is currently under review for publication in Business Strategy and the Environment, a high-ranking journal in the field. Joana has also attended data-focused webinars, reflecting her strong interest in how data analysis can enhance decision-making in operations and logistics contexts. She is particularly passionate about Operations Management and Logistics. Additionally, she has past experience as a mathematics tutor, demonstrating her ability to communicate clearly and effectively.