Interview with Rui Martins Senior Project Officer in the Atlantic International Research Centre (AIR Centre).
Rui Martins is currently a Senior Project Officer in the Atlantic International Research Centre (AIR Centre). He graduated in Environmental Engineering from the University of Azores. He has 15 years of experience in the development of international projects on energy efficiency, renewable energies, hydrogen, adaptation to climate changes, smart cities, industrial sustainability, international cooperation and space. He has gathered experience in the establishment of consortiums, leadership of project proposals for the main international funding programmes as well as international project management. Over the years he has accumulated the responsibilities of business developer and networking manager in the former institutions where he has collaborated. He currently is also an expert evaluator and expert monitor for the European Commission on H2020 proposals and projects. He actively collaborates as a Senior Editor in several international science platforms.
What is the mission of AIR Centre and what are the activities developed?
The Atlantic International Research Centre is an international collaborative framework to address global challenges and local priorities in the Atlantic Ocean. It promotes an integrative approach to space, climate, ocean and energy in the Atlantic, supported by emerging technological innovations and advances in data science, and through South-North and North-South cooperation. AIR Centre aims at becoming a leading internationally distributed and collaborative network. We want to act as a framework for scientific and technology collaboration and development of ideas, policies, research programmes and projects within the context of the Atlantic Ocean, aligning national priorities and global challenges through joint actions. Our activities are oriented to attract the youngsters and to foster local skilled job creation through “user-driven and open innovation platforms” that test new solutions and facilitate social appropriation of scientific knowledge.
AIR Centre is a partner in the E5DES project. What are the principal tasks of AIR Centre in the project?
In E5DES AIR Centre will participate in the activities related to the capacity building in terms of technology and scientific knowledge in the desalination thematic within the area of influence of the project. It is also the role of AIR Centre to organize international workshops in the African partner countries (Senegal, Mauritania and Cape Verde) to promote the technology and knowledge transfer to these regions in order to capacitate local stakeholders for the development of desalination projects. AIR Centre will also be actively involved in mentoring the development of new and innovative projects that bring together research institutions and companies for the creation of more efficient and cost-effective desalination approaches.
How could AIR Centre increase the visibility of the DESAL+ LIVING LAB in the Atlantic area?
Being an internationally distributed and collaborative network for the Atlantic region, AIR Centre can and will promote E5DES project within its network. Given that AIR Centre has nodes in countries such as Angola, Brazil, São Tomé e Principe, Ghana, Namibia, South Africa and United States our objective is to actively disseminate the results of E5DES in these countries as well as creating virtual bridges between interested stakeholders from these countries and the partners of the project.
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