 
In Cartagena, one of the most important ports in Spain and the Mediterranean, I was born and raised in a family closely connected with the sea. My interests have been strongly influenced by continued contact with the sea, its people, resources and all the boats sailing it. This concern for Naval and Oceanic Engineering took me to enter the School of Naval Engineers, ETSIN, of the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
While studying, I worked in a few companies of the sector, highlighting FERLSHIP, where I gained significant knowledge of the maritime industry and the offshore world.
Close to finishing my Naval Engineering studies, and concerned about the sustainable exploitation of marine resources, I joined other classmates and teachers to create an UPM “Spin-off” specializing in aquaculture and fisheries engineering.
In that company I spent my early working years in interesting projects involving the aforementioned oceanic resources, development of marine farming facilities, research centres and projects and studies of fishing vessels. It included a project under the EU 6th Framework Programme.
2006 I joined the ETSIN as an associate professor in the area of shipbuilding knowledge, lecturing until today in various subjects such as Fundamentals of Shipbuilding, Environment and Marine Safety, Oceanology, Fisheries Systems, Marine Farming Engineering and Environmental Pollution.
I have been combining my lectures with research activities, having led and executed numerous projects, both domestic and international. This includes Ocean Engineering projects involving marine environment, fisheries, offshore aquaculture and offshore renewables.
As a result of my researcher activities I obtained the PhD degree in Naval Engineering and published 6 national and 1 international articles, as well as having over 30 contributions to national and international conferences. Moreover, I participated in various seminars as guest speaker, highlighting the summer courses organized by the Complutense University of Madrid at the Escorial.
Continuous contact with the problems associated with providing resources for the growing world population and realizing the opportunities that the oceans offer, coupled with my experience as a researcher, led me to start a technological SME: AID. AID is specialized in technology assessment, research in engineering in complex environments and autonomous systems, as well as marine renewables. The aim is to promote research in the efficient use of marine resources in order to meet social challenges for the future.
Along with the Innovamar Foundation, AID promoted three major research projects addressing a wide variety of disciplines and technologies in the offshore and shipping sectors. These include design and construction technologies of fishing and offshore vessels for installation of wind farms or marine energy generation devices. Besides, it offers propulsive and energy technologies, intelligent management, communication and vessel/offshore installations operation technologies, technologies related to the comfort and safety of people at sea, protection and preservation technologies for marine resources, etc.
These projects are: BAIP-2020, “INTELLIGENT AUTO MULTIPURPOSE FISHING VESSEL 2020”, research project under the Spanish CENIT program and led by Astilleros de Murueta with a participation of 21 companies and 28 public and private research groups, having a 36.500.000€ budget, where I act as Technical Director. The OCEAN LÍDER project, LEADING OCEAN ENERGY, research Project under the CENIT program led by Iberdrola Ingeniería y Construcción with the participation of 20 companies and 27 research groups, having a 29.750.000 € budget, where I act as Technical Director within the Technical Secretariat. And the CENIT VIDA project, INTEGRAL ALGAE VALORIZATION, led by Iberdrola Ingeniería y Construcción with hte participation of 14 companies and 24 research groups, having a 18.900.000 € Budget, where I also act as Technical Director within the Technical Secretariat.
Other activities also include being member of the Executive Committee of the WEGEMT, being invited expert in the discussion and review of the Green Book "Status in 2003 of the Spanish System of Innovation" by the COTEC Foundation, member of the Spanish Maritime Technology Platform, member of the Spanish Technological Platform for Fisheries and Aquaculture, member of the Spanish robotics platform Hisparob, member of working Group 5: "Innovation in Teaching" by the European Thematic Network "AQUAT-NET", member of the Standardization Committee AEN / CTN 206/SC114 “Marine energy - Converters for wave and current energy”. Besides, I acted as expert adviser to the Committee on Aquaculture of the "General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean "- FAO.
Among other received awards, special mention to the 2008 Prize of the Association of Naval Engineers of Spain to the Best Career Path for people under 35 years.
With no doubt, my day by day career motivations arise from the opportunity for the future of the planet offered by our oceans, and the need to do research and develop new technologies for their exploration, exploitation and management, for vessels and naval artifacts, on surface or underwater, multi-platforms, systems and equipment, etc. Furthermore it allows me to travel around the world facing new challenges. |
