Jose Luis Villate received a B.S. degree in physics in 1991 and a M.Sc. degree in advanced manufacturing technologies in 1992 both from the University of the Basque Country, Spain. From 1992 until 2010, he was with Robotiker working on topics related to power electronics and digital control systems for the integration of Renewable Energy Sources into the grid.

In 2011, Robotiker and other research centres merged into TECNALIA, the largest private research organisation in Spain where Mr. Villate managed the offshore renewable business area for 10 years. From January 2022, Mr. Villate is the Director of a Department on Renewable Energy and Thermal Efficiency with around 60 researchers.

Between 1998 and 2000, he was a lecturer of industrial control with the Engineering School of Deusto University. For 10 years (2008-2018), he coordinated the marine energy module of a Master in Renewable Energy organized by the Spanish National Research Council. Currently, he collaborates with the Master in Renewable Energy in the Marine Environment and the Master in Sustainable Energy Engineering both coordinated by the University of the Basque Country.

Mr Villate served as Chairman of the OES (a Technology Collaboration Programme on Ocean Energy of the International Energy Agency) for 4 years (2013-2016). He also participated in the Board of Directors of the European Ocean Energy Association for 8 years (2010-2017) and chaired the Spanish standardisation Committee on Marine Energy for 15 years (2008-2023). He has participated in several advisory groups of international initiatives on renewable energy.

He is author or co-author of more than 40 papers and conference communications in national and international forums. He is the holder of five patents related to renewable energy.