Born in 1955. Beja, Évora, Portalegre, Faro. Graduated Mechanical Engineer at IST, Technical University of Lisbon.  Ph.D. at the Imperial College in London in the area of energy intensive industries. Full Professor at Technical University of Lisbon in the areas of energy and climate change. Fellow of: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; American Association for the Advancement of Science; World Academy of Art and Science; and Portuguese Academy of Sciences. Former Minister of Science and Higher Education and former Minister of Science, Innovation and Higher Education. Principal Adviser to BEPA, a Department of the EC reporting directly to the President. Member of the National Council of Education and Member of the National Council of Environment and Sustainable Development. Decorated with “Great Official of the Order of Public Instruction” - Portugal, "High Honour of the Great Cross"- Brazil. Int. scientific publ.: 415 articles. Author of 2 books, editor of 14 books. MEP since 2009.