JuniFEUP Develops Platform That Saves 10,000 Hours Annually for Porto Firefighters
Junior Enterprise from FEUP, has developed an innovative platform that automates shift scheduling for the Porto Fire Brigade, saving 10,000 hours annually and improving operational efficiency.
The junior company from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto (FEUP) has created an innovative platform that streamlines shift scheduling, saving the Porto Fire Brigade an estimated 10,000 hours each year.
Developed pro bono by FEUP students, the platform has already earned recognition as the Project of the Year at the 2025 jeniAL Awards, celebrating the best initiatives within Portugal's Junior Enterprises.
The Porto Fire Brigade, who face daily challenges of combatting fires and saving lives, also carry the administrative responsibility of managing team shifts — a task that was both time-consuming and error-prone. This is where the JuniFEUP's solution steps in, automating the scheduling process and reducing what used to take several people hours of manual effort to mere seconds.
The result is not just efficiency, but also a fairer and more transparent distribution of tasks. This pioneering tool has already had a direct positive impact on over 250,000 people.
"The real value of this platform is the time it frees up for firefighters," explains a member of the JuniFEUP team. "Time that can now be dedicated to training, readiness, and most importantly, public safety."
With a flexible model that can be adapted to other sectors like emergency services or industrial environments, the platform is poised to make a broader impact across the country, improving operations where it’s needed most.
