Jesús Torrecilla Soria

Graduate in Chemistry from the University of the Basque Country in 1991. Chemistry from the University of the Basque Country in 1991, he completed his research proficiency programme between 2005 and 2007 at the School of Engineering in Bilbao. He has developed all his professional activity in the field of R&D, always linked to Technology Centres. He began his activity in LABEIN (1991-1996, today TECNALIA) as a researcher in the Chemistry Department and continued in LEIA (1996-2010, today TECNALIA) as a senior researcher until he became Director of three R&D and Technological Services Departments, as well as Market Director of the Centre and member of the Management Committee (since 2004) and of the Management Board (since 2006). Finally, he joined what is now TECNALIA, initially as Market Director of the Sustainable Development Division (2011-2013).

During these more than 20 years, in which he has moved from the laboratory to strategic leadership, he has authored numerous scientific articles and EP/PCT patents and has participated in or led more than 100 national and international research projects in fields such as chemistry, biotechnology, circularity, nanotechnology and new materials, hydrogen and energy. In addition, he has given numerous specialised training courses, both to industry and in university master's programmes, co-organised International Congresses and participated in the management bodies of several Associations, Technology Platforms and Networks of Scientific Excellence.

Since 2013, he has replaced the experimental part of science by trying to bring it to the market, generating economic and social impact under a Deep Tech Venture Building model, convinced that investing in new technology-based companies is investing in the future. As Director of Tecnalia VENTURES for Energy, Climate and Urban Transition (one of the most important Deep Tech Venture Builders in Europe and a pioneer in this field in Spain), he has been working for more than ten years on the real valorisation of R&D through entrepreneurship, generating and cohesive investment ecosystem and transforming the disruptive technologies developed in TECNALIA into profitable and sustainable businesses. Thus, it leads the IP strategy and the management of the entire life cycle of our technological assets from ideation to scaling through its own incubation and acceleration methodology (IMPACT), which has allowed it to drive the creation of startups/spinoffs of the relevance of BIOKEMIK, H2SITE, ACUSTRAIN or IZPITEK, for example. Likewise, his participation in several Boards of Directors/Administration, allows him to deploy all this accumulated expertise in a Smart management of these NTBCs, under bold models of analysis, planning and business strategy.