Ekain Cagigal is Master in Analytical Chemistry (University of the Basque Country, 1999). He collaborated with the Department of Analytical Chemistry of the University of the Basque Country working in analytical determination of samples from research projects covering different fields: environment, industry, geology, pharmaceutical, etc. He joined the Environmental Unit of TECNALIA (former LABEIN) in 2000 and started participating in projects related to remediation of soils, sediments and groundwater based on different technologies and actively involved in risk assessment of contaminated sites. He has developed methodologies and guidelines for the environmental assessment and evaluation of management/recovery alternatives of waste materials (treated wood, C&D wastes, asphalts, steel slags, etc.). He has participated in different pre-normative research studies supporting Basque regional authorities (mainly IHOBE) in the development of decrees and technical orders regulating major waste streams in the region (C&D wastes, steel slags, and MSWI bottom ashes) and creating guidelines for their use in the Basque Country.
For the last years he has been Project Manager of Division of Building Technologies, on circular economy projects and activities, related to waste recovery technologies, closing waste streams loops by innovative technologies and their valorization in greener building materials. He has more than 20 years of experience in EC funding projects (from FP5 to H2020, Life+, Interreg), as well as regional and national projects coordination. He has published several scientific papers, book chapters and scientific dissemination for general audience.