Paulo Ferrão, professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, is the new president of COST – the European Cooperation in Science and Technology, for the next two years. The announcement was made at COST Executive Board meeting, held last 20th June, in Brussels.
“Assuming this position requires a lot of responsibility” says Professor Paulo Ferrão. “On the one hand, we must ensure compliance with COST mission, in this case to promote international cooperation in science and technology and, on the other hand, we must honour the tradition of the Portuguese citizens who have served Europe so well in these positions”, says professor Paulo Ferrão, visibly happy with his appointment.
This European organisation is responsible for funding research networks called “COST Actions”. These networks offer an open space for collaboration among scientists across Europe, and thereby give impetus to research advancements and innovation. “COST is undoubtedly the most efficient and most important European mechanism for promoting scientific and technological cooperation at international level and also to promote the participation of countries whose level of scientific development is lower than the European average”, stresses Professor Paulo Ferrão. The Técnico professor has defined a goal: “to help expanding the borders and the intensity of international cooperation and to promote the valorisation of knowledge produced by COST actions”.
According to professor Paulo Ferrão, COST is essential for science and technology. “Science and knowledge are, by definition, global, so there is no doubt that science can only prosper in a context of a strong international cooperation”, stresses the Técnico professor.
Professor Paulo Ferrão is Full Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico (Department of Mechanical Engineering – DEM) and co-founder of IN+ Centre for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research. He was president of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia from 2016 to 2019 and director of the MIT-Portugal Programme from 1996-2016. He is member of the “Environmental Advisory Committee” at Rolls-Royce.
Paulo Ferrão’s scientific career focuses on the areas of energy and industrial ecology, in topics such as waste management or urban systems. In this context, he coordinated the working groups that prepared the PNGR-National Waste Management Plan and PERSU 2020 (Strategic Plan for Urban Waste). He is also co-author of the book “Sustainable Urban Metabolism” published by MIT-Press in 2013 and “Urban metabolism of six Asian cities” edited by the Asian Development Bank in 2014.
