Summary

His current research interest is in the field of new recycling technologies and digital solutions for industrial solid waste and construction and demolition waste and the subsequent reuse of the recovered mineral resources in eco-innovative low carbon cement-based products and construction applications, including civil works.

He is senior researcher, PhD in materials engineering (2009) and Industrial Mechanical Engineer (2000) by the University of Basque Country (Spain). Degree in Business Innovation and Business Management by the Deusto Business School (Spain).

He has been working at TECNALIA-BRTA (former LABEIN) since 2001, providing more than 20 years of experience on project management, solid waste recycling technologies, advanced materials for building and civil works and advanced manufacturing process for construction applications. Currently, Head of the Building and Biobased Products Area of TECNALIA, including 3 technological teams: 1) Circular digital tracing; 2) Ecoefficiency in Building Products; 3) Lignocellulosic bio-based products.

From 2011-2014, he was coordinator of the EU funded FP7 IRCOW project: “Innovative Strategies for High-Grade Material Recovery from Construction and Demolition Waste” (Grant Agreement nº 265212). Besides, he was the scientific coordinator of the both EU funded Horizon 2020 projects: HISER “Holistic innovative solutions for an efficient recycling and recovery of valuable raw materials from complex C&DW” and VEEP “Cost-Effective Recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste in High Added value Energy Efficient Prefabricated Concrete Components for Massive Retrofitting of our Built Environment”.

He achieved diverse consultancy works for national and international environmental authorities and technology transfer to national and international (Cuba, France, Colombia, Uruguay) companies.

Dr. Vegas was member of the Spanish Committee “C2-Suistainable Materials” within the Scientific-Technical Association for the Structural Concrete. On the other sides, in the EIT Raw Materials Business Plan Competition, edition 2016, awarded the 2nd prize of 10.000 €, relating to the business plan, proposed by TP for the Competition, entitled “Conversion of Construction and Demolition Waste into Aerogels for New Buildings and Retrofits”.

Dr. Vegas is co-author of 48 SCI-JCR scientific papers dealing with waste management technologies, strain-sensing capacity and eco-innovative cement-based materials (H-index =21, more than 1445 times cited). He supervised 2 PhDs.