Data Protection Officer

Today’s society is characterised by digitalisation and hyperconnectivity; data has become a crucial asset for organisations, many of which consist of personal data. The law imposes significant responsibilities on their processing, applying to their activities in a cross-cutting manner. At INESC TEC, these responsibilities primarily stem from research and development, but also extend to other activities common to most organisations, carried out by Centres and Services. Following the full implementation of the GDPR in 2018, INESC TEC decided to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO), supported by an internal multidisciplinary team. The Data Protection Officer has a specific legal status and plays the role of informing and advising the Board and general staff of the Institute on existing legal obligations, as well as monitoring compliance with applicable data protection legislation and the internal procedures that implement it. The DPO is the point of contact for the competent supervisory authorities in this area (the CNPD, in Portugal), while ensuring the fundamental rights of data subjects, whether they are employees or others who collaborate with the Institute.