Marília Simões honored with the 2025 University of Évora Alumni Career Award
Évora, November 1, 2025 — Entrepreneur Marília Felismino Simões, CEO and co-founder of ML Analytics, has been honored with the 2025 University of Évora Alumni Career Award, a recognition that celebrates graduates whose careers reflect the institution’s values of excellence, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Graduated in Applied Mathematics and Computer Engineering from the University of Évora, Marília Simões is today a reference in the field of Artificial Intelligence applied to business, leading one of Portugal’s most promising technology companies. At the helm of ML Analytics, founded in 2018 by her and her husband Luís Simões, after years of professional experience in the Netherlands at organizations such as TomTom, TNT/FedEx, and the European Space Agency (ESA), she has promoted Data Science and Prescriptive Analytics projects in sectors including telecommunications, banking, retail, healthcare, and space, transforming data into decisions with economic and social impact.
Under her leadership, ML Analytics has been ranked among the top 5% of Portugal’s Best SMEs for five consecutive years and collaborates with organizations such as Altice, Unicre, Brisa, Novo Nordisk (Netherlands), and the European Space Agency (ESA), for which it develops the Machine Learning operations of the ARIEL mission, set to launch in 2029.
During the ceremony, Marília Simões moved the audience with a speech that earned a standing ovation, highlighting the role of the university, her family, and TAFUÉ – the Women’s Academic Tuna of the University of Évora, which she founded as a student.
“This university did not just give me knowledge — it gave me wings, it gave me purpose, and it gave me a home for life. Évora will always be in my heart,” she stated.
