Menu
Talk to us

Back to blog

Industry 4.0Published on by Ana Guerra

Focus BC brings Mapify to JUNITEC with a hands-on Workshop

Focus BC hosted a workshop for JUNITEC, where students used Mapify and live Helsinki data to build real time geospatial maps with hands on learning and results.

At Focus BC, we believe in the power of real-world experiences to shape future talent. That belief forms the core of our partnership with JUNITEC, the junior enterprise of Instituto Superior Técnico. Built on a shared mission to bridge the gap between university learning and industry expectations, our collaboration is grounded in a commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and real-world application.


Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting a Mapify Workshop for JUNITEC. The session introduced students to Mapify, our no-code location intelligence platform designed for real-time geospatial analysis. Using our intuitive drag and drop tools, data integrations, and automated workflows, Mapify enables anyone to build powerful, data-driven applications in just minutes. Let’s get to it!


Mario Sobral speaks to a small group of Junitec members, including two young women and a young man, in a casual setting. The participants listen attentively, holding water bottles.
Mario Sobral speaks to a small group of Junitec members, including two young women and a young man, in a casual setting. The participants listen attentively, holding water bottles.
Close-up of Nuno Serra, in a mauve polo shirt and glasses (Mario Sobral) engaged in an expressive conversation with a participant. He appears to be explaining something during a one-on-one moment in the workshop.
Close-up of Nuno Serra, in a mauve polo shirt and glasses (Mario Sobral) engaged in an expressive conversation with a participant. He appears to be explaining something during a one-on-one moment in the workshop.
Over-the-shoulder view of a participant’s laptop screen displaying the Mapify website, with the tagline “Mapify for Education is our commitment to the future of geospatial analysis.” The colorful beanbags from earlier are visible in the background.
Over-the-shoulder view of a participant’s laptop screen displaying the Mapify website, with the tagline “Mapify for Education is our commitment to the future of geospatial analysis.” The colorful beanbags from earlier are visible in the background.
Mario Sobral stands in front of a group, gesturing with both hands as he leads a session. A poster behind him reads “Mapify – Create your IoT application without a single line of code.” The room is bright, with a laptop and books on a shelf.
Mario Sobral stands in front of a group, gesturing with both hands as he leads a session. A poster behind him reads “Mapify – Create your IoT application without a single line of code.” The room is bright, with a laptop and books on a shelf.
A wider view of the same session, showing Mario Sobral addressing a larger group of Junitec members in a modern kitchen area. Some participants stand, others lean on counters, listening as Mario gestures with his hand.
A wider view of the same session, showing Mario Sobral addressing a larger group of Junitec members in a modern kitchen area. Some participants stand, others lean on counters, listening as Mario gestures with his hand.
A cozy and bright room set up for a workshop with colorful beanbags arranged in a semicircle facing a TV screen displaying a presentation slide titled “Introduction to Mapify.” A laptop showing the same slide rests on a wooden stool. Sunlight filters through partially closed blinds.
A cozy and bright room set up for a workshop with colorful beanbags arranged in a semicircle facing a TV screen displaying a presentation slide titled “Introduction to Mapify.” A laptop showing the same slide rests on a wooden stool. Sunlight filters through partially closed blinds.


Learning Mapify Through Real-World Challenges

Held at our office in Lisbon, the session kicked off with an introduction to Mapify, led by our Technical Manager, Mário Sobral. Students were guided through the platform’s core capabilities, including:

  • Real-time data simulation

  • Workflow automation

  • Drag-and-drop map layer creation

  • Interactive visualization using public APIs


Each participant received a free demo account, allowing them to explore the platform and begin building their own real-time geospatial applications.


The session moved quickly from introduction to a hands-on exercise. For this project, students worked with open real-time datasets from Helsinki. They worked with Digitransit’s real-time public transport data, where they analyzed key fields like location, delay, and temperature, they configured Data Feeds, designed Workflows, and built live map Layers on Mapify.


Guided by Mário Sobral, students worked autonomously through each stage of the process, transforming data into a real-time visual experience. The end result was an interactive map showing Helsinki’s buses in motion, with real-time details on movement, temperature and delays.

This practical challenge demonstrated how Mapify can turn complex datasets into clear, actionable insights, helping inform better decisions in urban mobility, infrastructure planning, and public service delivery.


Mario Sobral stands at the front of a bright room delivering a presentation titled “Introduction to Mapify” to a group of Junitec members seated at a counter and on beanbags. The setting is casual, with laptops open and natural light entering through windows.
Mario Sobral stands at the front of a bright room delivering a presentation titled “Introduction to Mapify” to a group of Junitec members seated at a counter and on beanbags. The setting is casual, with laptops open and natural light entering through windows.
Two Junitec members collaborate on a Mapify task during the workshop, smiling and engaged. Their laptop displays a data input interface on the platform, while a presentation screen shows a dataset overview.
Two Junitec members collaborate on a Mapify task during the workshop, smiling and engaged. Their laptop displays a data input interface on the platform, while a presentation screen shows a dataset overview.
A group of Junitec members attentively follow a workshop seated on colorful beanbags and at a white counter table. Each person has a laptop open, participating in the hands-on Mapify session led by Mario Sobral.
A group of Junitec members attentively follow a workshop seated on colorful beanbags and at a white counter table. Each person has a laptop open, participating in the hands-on Mapify session led by Mario Sobral.
Close-up of a Junitec member registering for a Mapify account on her laptop during the workshop. Her screen shows the sign-up form with fields for name, email, and password.
Close-up of a Junitec member registering for a Mapify account on her laptop during the workshop. Her screen shows the sign-up form with fields for name, email, and password.
Mario Sobral presents a live demonstration of a Mapify workflow on the screen, pointing at a visual interface titled “mario-processar-bus-position” with a focused expression. The audience is watching attentively.
Mario Sobral presents a live demonstration of a Mapify workflow on the screen, pointing at a visual interface titled “mario-processar-bus-position” with a focused expression. The audience is watching attentively.
A group of Junitec members attentively follow a workshop seated on colorful beanbags and at a white counter table. Each person has a laptop open, participating in the hands-on Mapify session led by Mario Sobral.
A group of Junitec members attentively follow a workshop seated on colorful beanbags and at a white counter table. Each person has a laptop open, participating in the hands-on Mapify session led by Mario Sobral.


This workshop reflects the strength of our ongoing partnership with JUNITEC. Their work in connecting students to the business ecosystem through innovation aligns perfectly with our mission to democratize access to location intelligence.


As we look ahead, we’re eager to see how JUNITEC will bring Mapify into their future initiatives, whether to prototype new ideas, visualize urban data, or tackle real-world challenges. Because when education meets innovation, the results go far beyond the classroom.To learn more about JUNITEC and their work, visit https://junitec.pt/en/home-en/.