Catarina Proença is a PhD student in Engineering and Management at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, under the supervision of Professor Carla Costa. Her academic qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering and Management, a postgraduate diploma in Business Management, and a Master's degree in Digital Technologies for Business.

Her professional experience spans industrial engineering, engineering team leadership, industrial management, continuous improvement, and research, development and innovation project management. She has contributed to national and European collaborative projects involving industrial companies, research centres, and higher education institutions. Her experience also includes digital transformation initiatives and the dissemination of technical and scientific knowledge in areas related to industrial innovation and manufacturing.

Alongside her professional career, she currently serves on the Admission and Qualification Council for Industrial Engineering and Management of the Portuguese Order of Engineers.

Her research interests include innovation management, R&D investment, risk assessment, and decision-support models for the selection and management of innovation project portfolios. She is also interested in financing mechanisms that support research, development and innovation, particularly in industrial contexts, and in approaches that bridge management research and organisational practice.