Cantera Asun

Dr. Asun Cantera López de Silanes

Industrial Engineer, specialising in Mechanical Engieer (MSC) from University of Navarre, Tecnun and PhD from the University of the Basque Country (2014, UPV/EHU). Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, in the Mechanical Engineering Area at the School of Engineering of Vitoria-Gasteiz, belonging to the UPV/EHU.

After developing her professional activity in industry for 10 years, she completed her doctoral thesis on composite materials at UPV/EHU entitled ‘Analysis of the mechanical behaviour of bistable cross laminates’ directed by Professor Faustino Mujika, and awarded a prize by the Ibero-American Federation of Mechanical Engineering (FEIBIM, 2015).

Her research focuses on the modelling of the mechanical behaviour and testing of long carbon and glass fibre laminates, within the Mechanics of Materials research group (MECMAT). She has carried out research stays at the Universities of Bristol (UK) , Nevada (USA) and at the Université de Pau et Des Pays de L´Adou, UPPA (France). Fluency in Spanish, English and Basque (C1-level) and French (B-level).


She is currently working with both synthetic and natural fibers and she is a member of the European Scientific Council of the European Flax and Hemp Alliance. Within the international working group led by Professor Stephen Tsai of Stanford University, she is applying the double-double design theory of bi-angles [± Φ / ± Ψ]. She is also interested in thin ply technology. She collaborates with knowledge transfer activities through the Euskoiker Foundation.

At undergraduate level, she has taught Applied Mechanics, Machine Design and Elasticity and Strength of Materials at both the Gipuzkoa School of Engineering and the Vitoria-Gasteiz School of the UPV/EHU. At Master's level, he teaches on the Master's Degree in Artificial Intelligence Applied to Industry and Computer Aided Engineering and on UPV/EHU's own courses.