Jaime Bonnin Roca is a CMU Portugal program Alumnus in Engineering and Public Policy who graduated in 2017. He currently works as a Research Associate at the Institute of Manufacturing for the University of Cambridge. His studies are mainly focused on how different sources of technical and market uncertainty may change the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies. As a PhD student, he studied the introduction of metal additive manufacturing in sectors such as aviation or automotive and was part of the CMU Portugal Program ERI (E4Value).
When you decided to pursue a PhD, why did you choose the CMU Portugal Program?
The program gave me the opportunity to attend one of the top technical universities in the USA, and enrich my personal experience through the exposure of two very different countries and research contexts.
How would you describe your experience under the CMU Portugal program?
My experience in the program has been overall very positive. I have created working relationships with high-level members in industry and government on both sides of the Atlantic. Moving from one city to another might look daunting at the beginning, but my transition was relatively smooth. I also made some good friends within the program, and the community is very supporting.
Professionally, the PhD has opened an array of new career possibilities which were unimaginable when I started.
The CMU brand is highly valued in the market.
What are you doing at the moment?
I am working on several research projects at the University of Cambridge, related to the adoption and diffusion of emerging manufacturing technologies, and the role of regulatory agencies in the commercialization of those.
For other students that are thinking about doing a CMU Portugal Dual Degree PhD, what would your advice be?
A PhD is always a tough path which requires a lot of hard work, and mental resilience against the uncertainty about your research and the future. But if you really want to go down that path, there are not many ways better than through the CMU Portugal program.
