On 31 March and 1 April 2025, NOVA IMS hosted the first edition of the Smart Health Seminar: Behavioral Insights, organised in partnership with the Directorate-General of Health (DGS). The event brought together over 200 participants to discuss how behavioural science, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies can contribute to more effective and practical health policies in Portugal.

The seminar is part of the SMART HEALTH project (2024.07397.IACDC), funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) and led by Professor Diego Costa Pinto. The project aims to develop Portugal’s first health literacy algorithm, scientifically validated and informed by behavioural science, using tools such as large language models and automated machine learning.

The seminar’s main focus was to understand what truly motivates people to adopt healthier behaviours—not only when managing illness, but throughout life. Discussions centred on the invisible barriers that often prevent behavioural change, even when individuals are aware of what is best for their health. Behavioural insights were highlighted as tools not only to raise awareness but also to promote sustained, effective action.

The programme opened with a talk by Professor Miguel Telo de Arriaga, Director of the Directorate for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at DGS, who shared ongoing initiatives and the importance of stronger ties between academic research and public health services. He was joined by Dr Leonor Quelhas Pinto, from the Division of Literacy, Health, and Well-being.

A key moment of the seminar was the student-led scientific poster session, developed as part of the Consumer Behavior Insights course. Around 200 master’s and postgraduate students from Information Management and Marketing programmes participated, alongside the NOVA Marketing Analytics Lab team: Professor Diego Costa Pinto, Professor Simoni Rohden, Mariana Girão Carrilho, and Joana Nunes.

Students presented their work on three ongoing research projects:

• Smart Health – focused on improving communication and engagement on public health digital platforms;
• Healthy Ageing – examining strategies for supporting well-being in older adults, including the perspectives of caregivers and professionals;
• CHOICE – exploring behavioural strategies to improve breast cancer prevention and health literacy.

What set the session apart was the direct contact students had with the DGS team, an opportunity they strongly valued. Many expressed enthusiasm at seeing their ideas “come off the page” and being discussed with professionals in a position to implement them. The experience added a sense of purpose and recognition to their academic work.

Building on this feedback, students will now spend six weeks refining their projects using primary data. This marks a shift from theoretical frameworks and secondary data to field research, including in-depth interviews and focus groups, which will feed into the development of the SMART HEALTH algorithm.

A second edition of the seminar is already in preparation and will once again take place at NOVA IMS. By then, the SMART HEALTH project will be further along, allowing researchers and students to present consolidated results and share final reflections on their contributions to public health innovation.