Manuel Heitor chaired the European Commission’s expert group for the Horizon Europe interim evaluation report titled “Align, Act, Accelerate”. He is a Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon and a former Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Portugal. He holds visiting roles at New York University's Marron Institute - its centre for urban science and progress - and at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. He is an honorary member of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences. He was also a corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Engineering in Spain, and was a founding member of the International Risk Governance Council's Science and Technology Council and of Globelics.