João Bentes de Jesus
João Bentes de Jesus is a PhD Candidate in Development studies, focusing on studying the adoption of Earth Observation Applications. He has a Masters in Aerospace Engineering and currently serves as the Institutional Affairs Manager at GEOSAT, a Portuguese satellite operator, representing it at various national and international forums, establishing collaborations with private, public, and academic institutions, and engaging with users to assess their needs.
Prior to this, he served as a Project and Business Developer at the AIR Centre from July 2019 to December 2022. In this capacity, he led initiatives involving Earth Observation technologies, particularly focusing on engaging key stakeholders across Europe and beyond to assess operational needs around significant sea basins. He worked towards raising awareness of Copernicus products and services and building capacities for their use, especially in maritime surveillance and environmental monitoring.
Between October 2021 and August 2022, he also co-chaired the Team Project Space-Climate-Ocean at the International Space University - Space Studies Program. Additionally, he served as a Strategic Advisor for the Portuguese Chairmanship of the Eureka Network from July 2021 to June 2022. His role involved working closely with key figures to enhance the network's value, expand its outreach, and increase synergies between space and ocean sectors.
He was awarded the António Dornelas 2020 award for his work titled "Industry 4.0 Impact on Employment in Portugal - A Special Look into the Metal, Automotive and Other Transport Equipment Sectors & Aerospace Related Professions".
