LAETA`s president is awarded by the Academie de l'Air et de l'Espace

Pedro Camanho's contribution to scientific and industrial advancement in the areas of aeronautics and space was recognized by the Academie de L`Air et de L`Espace. LAETA`s president will receive the Academy Medal for his research career, which led to the introduction of the study of composite materials in current European programs in the aerospace sector.

Pedro Camanho's work is a reference inside and outside the country, particularly in the study of deformation and fracture mechanisms of advanced composite materials, as well as in the development of new concepts for multifunctional composite materials for the aerospace sector.

"I am very moved by this recognition coming from one of the most prestigious French Academies. I hope that the scientific contributions that justified this distinction can awaken the curiosity of new generations of researchers to study the problems of fracture and structural integrity of new materials, notably composite materials”, says LAETA`s president.

Pedro Camanho will receive the medal in Toulouse, in December. At the same ceremony, Albert Turon Travesa will be honored. Alberto Turon Travesa was Pedro Camanho`s first doctoral student and is currently a professor at the University of Girona, in Spain.

Also this year, Pedro Camanho was the only researcher from a Portuguese institution awarded a grant from the ERC – European Research Council. The grant, worth 3.5 million, will be used to create a new generation of composite materials that will enable the development of the aerospace sector.

From scientist at NASA to projects with Airbus: a career of excellence

Pedro Camanho has a extensive CV. LAETA`s president has a PhD from the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London, is a researcher at INEGI and is a member of its governing bodies. He is also a Full Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and president of the Associated Laboratory of Energy, Transport and Aerospace (LAETA).

Throughout his career, he has coordinated several research projects funded by the European Space Agency, Airbus, NASA, Embraer, Daimler, Aernnova, the European Union, FCT and the US Air Force.

Between 2000 and 2011, he was a visiting scientist at the NASA Research Center – Langley Research Center, having received the NASA H.J.E. Award in 2006. Reid Award for Outstanding Scientific Paper. He is a corresponding member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (United Kingdom).