Mariana Fernandes has been working at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) since September 2018, where she currently serves as Coordinator for National Funding. In this role, she focuses on building long-term strategic relationships with private and public organisations, while supporting business development and securing national and European funding.

She has extensive experience supporting companies, research institutions, and public authorities in accessing funding, managing projects, and developing growth strategies, as well as fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government.

Prior to joining INL, Mariana worked at Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (SPI) and at Deloitte, as part of the Global Incentives and Investment team. She holds a PhD in Bioengineering under the MIT Portugal Program, specialising in the intersection of life sciences and photonics.