Lucas F.M. da Silva is a Full Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Porto (FEUP). He leads INEGI’s Advanced Joining Processes Unit (AJPU), a 35-member team working on welded, plastic deformation, and adhesive joints, integrating mechanical characterization, fracture testing, analytical modeling, and finite element analysis. He has coordinated 35 research projects funded mainly by FCT and the European Commission. With 15 patents, his contributions also extend to practical innovations in joining processes. His publications include over 700 SCOPUS papers, approximately 23000 citations and an h-index of 74. His work has been recognized with awards such as the SAGE Best Paper Award, Donald Julius Groen Prize, FEUP Scientific Excellence Award (2013, 2018), and Pedagogical Excellence Award (2023). Prof. da Silva is editor-in-chief of multiple international journals and book series and organizes numerous international conferences on joining, materials, manufacturing, machine design, and engineering education. He is founder and president of the Portuguese Adhesion and Adhesives Association (EURADH member).