🎙️ Exclusive Interviews with SPOT Nordic Team: Francisca Braga
- SPOT Nordic
- Oct 22
- 3 min read
Today we give voice to Francisca Sousa Braga, originally from Braga and currently living in Denmark for about 6 years. With a background in Environmental Engineering from FEUP and a Master's in Sustainability from Aalborg, Francisca is pursuing a PhD in wastewater treatment and energy recovery, while actively engaging with both the scientific and professional communities. She joins SPOT Nordic full of energy, ideas, and a collaborative spirit!
▶️ Who are you? Hi everyone! 👋 I'm Francisca, I'm from Braga and have been living in Denmark for about 6 years (time flies!!). I completed my integrated Master's in Environmental Engineering at FEUP (University of Porto) and then moved to Aalborg to pursue another Master's in Sustainability. In 2023, I started my PhD focused on wastewater and energy recovery from a treatment plant. 🚰⚡
In my free time, I love traveling, discovering new cultures and meeting people — something I combine with my passion for photography 📸. I also really enjoy sports such as swimming, surfing, and climbing 🏄♀️🏊♀️🧗♀️. Additionally, I’m a scout and a member of the Young Water Professionals. 🌍💧
▶️ What do you do? I'm a PhD student through a collaboration between a company and a university — which is amazing! It allows me to tackle real-world problems and develop effective solutions through research. I feel like my work has real impact and doesn't just stay in the lab. 🔬🏭
▶️ What’s a typical day like? My days start early! I live in Aarhus and usually take the train to Skanderborg, where the company I work with is based 🚆. My workday involves meetings, data analysis, writing scientific papers, and developing my research.
After work, I like to unwind with a walk or some physical activity — climbing and dancing are my favorites! 🩰🧗♀️ In the evening, I relax with a good book and head to bed early (I need my 8 hours of sleep! 😴📚)
▶️ What do you value most about living in your city and country? I really value the quality of life and the ability to have free time to rest and do the things I enjoy. In a world that’s increasingly chaotic, that’s essential! 🌿🧘♀️
▶️ What do you value in Portugal now as an emigrant that you didn’t while living there? Definitely the sun ☀️! When I lived in Portugal, I took it for granted — now I realize how much it affects my well-being. Of course, I also miss the classics: my mom’s cooking 🍲 and the warm hospitality that Portuguese people naturally have 🤗.
▶️ In your opinion, what are the priority areas for collaboration between Portugal and the Nordic countries? I believe there’s a lot we can learn from each other, but I see climate change and sustainable resource management as key priority areas 🌍♻️.
▶️ Why did you decide to join SPOT Nordic? I discovered SPOT Nordic by chance in a LinkedIn post that piqued my curiosity. Living abroad, it’s easy to lose your professional network — and I didn’t want that to happen 🧑💼. Later, I received an invitation from David to take on a more active role and work alongside Pedro coordinating water-related projects. And here I am! 💧💪
▶️ How can you contribute to the SPOT Nordic team? I believe I can contribute with my team spirit, openness to new realities, and willingness to learn. More concretely, I’m already organizing an event in my area (spoiler alert! 🎉). What’s beautiful about this team is that we all come from different backgrounds, yet we share the same spirit of support and collaboration 🤝.
▶️ Which projects interest you the most in the association? I’m especially interested in projects that connect science to industry — practical areas with real and sustainable impact 🔬🏭.
▶️ A final message you'd like to share with the world: Stepping out of your comfort zone is essential for growth and discovering your full potential. Helping others creates a huge positive impact — and together, we can truly make the world a better place 🌍❤️.
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