Pedro Afonso Fernandes

Pedro Afonso Fernandes is a Research Fellow at the CUBE – Católica Lisbon Research Unit in Business & Economics and a Senior Economist at the NECEP – Católica Lisbon Forecasting Lab since 2013. His interdisciplinary work bridges Economics, Data Analysis, and Urban Planning, with expertise in computational methods, econometrics, and forecasting.

• PhD in Urban Planning (Lusófona University)
• MSc in Economics (NOVA School of Business and Economics)
• MSc in Urban and Regional Planning (Technical University of Lisbon)
• BSc in Economics (NOVA University Lisbon)

His research focuses on Business Cycles, Forecasting (including GDP nowcasting), Logic Programming (Prolog), and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Models, with applications to Water Sustainability, Regional Development, and Urban Economics. Recent work integrates Space Syntax with Machine Learning for predictive urban analysis.

Key trends in his publications include water resource management (e.g., São Francisco River Basin), economic forecasting (GDP, business cycles), and computational urbanism (Space Syntax + Prolog/ML). He also explores lifelong skill certification and its labor market impacts.

• Best GDP Forecaster - Portugal (2018, 2020)

At NECEP, he develops R-based forecasting models for Portugal’s economy and contributes to quarterly newsletters. He has designed tools for traffic forecasting (BRISA), financial plan modeling (tourist resorts), and socioeconomic assessments (e.g., EuroPACE project). His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in Education and Water Sustainability.