🧑‍🏫 Dr. Néstor Lucas-Martínez

Summary

Dr. Néstor Lucas-Martínez is an Associate Professor at the Department of Telematic Engineering and Electronics (DTE), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), and Principal Investigator (PI) for UPM in the Horizon Europe NexTArc Project (Next-Generation Architectures for Resilient Cyber-Physical Autonomy). His research focuses on adaptive middleware, autonomous cyber-physical systems, and distributed intelligence for resilient and trustworthy computing infrastructures.

With over a decade of experience in European R&D initiatives (ITEA2, FP7, H2020, and Horizon Europe), Dr. Lucas-Martínez has contributed to advancing mission management frameworks, semantic interoperability, and edge-intelligent architectures. His work bridges software engineering, embedded systems, and AI-driven decision support, addressing key challenges in dependability, autonomy, and systems integration.

He currently serves as Academic Secretary of the DTE Department Council, and has received multiple academic distinctions, including the Outstanding Doctoral Award (2023), a Special Mention of Honor in the Initial Training Programme for University Teaching (2024), and his first Six-Year Research Period (Sexenio de Investigación), awarded by ANECA in 2025.

🎓 Academic and Professional Background

  • 🧠 Undergraduate beginnings: Joined the Next-Generation Networks and Services (GRyS) research group in January 2013 as an undergraduate scholar, developing his final degree project within the group.
  • 🔬 Early research career: Continued as a contracted researcher supporting European R&D projects while pursuing his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Telecommunications at UPM.
  • 🎓 Doctoral studies: Funded by a university fellowship, he later joined the DTE Department in February 2021 as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.
  • 🏅 Outstanding recognition: Received the Outstanding Doctoral Award (Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado) in 2023 for his doctoral dissertation.
  • 📘 Teaching excellence: Earned a Special Mention of Honor in the Initial Training Programme for University Teaching in 2024.
  • 🎓 Academic advancement: Promoted to Assistant Professor in February 2024, and to Associate Professor in May 2025.

🔬 Research and Expertise

Dr. Lucas-Martínez’s research focuses on adaptive middleware and mission management frameworks for autonomous systems, as well as IoT, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), cloud and edge computing, and decision-support systems.

He has participated in several international and European projects, including:

  • 🇪🇺 ITEA2 Web of Objects (WoO)
  • 🇪🇺 FP7 DEMANES
  • 🇪🇺 FP7 ACUSS
  • 🇪🇺 H2020 SWARMs
  • 🇪🇺 H2020 AFarCloud
  • 🇪🇺 Horizon Europe NexTArc (since 2025 – PI for UPM)

🧩 Research Interests

  • Adaptive and intelligent middleware
  • Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) and Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Cloud, edge, and fog computing
  • Distributed reasoning and decision-making
  • Semantic interoperability and data modeling

🧭 Current Roles and Responsibilities

  • Associate Professor, DTE, UPM (since May 2025)
  • Principal Investigator (PI), H2020 NexTArc Project (since Sep 2025)
  • Academic Secretary, Department Council, DTE (since Nov 2025)
  • Researcher, Next-Generation Networks and Services (GRyS) (since January 2013)

🌟 Other Merits & Highlights

🚑 Volunteer Service and Civic Involvement

From 1995 to 2009, Néstor volunteered as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with the Local Civil Protection Volunteer Corps, affiliated with SAMUR–Protección Civil in Madrid.
During his service, he rose through several leadership roles:

  • Group Leader (2001)
  • Squad Leader (2002)
  • Team Leader (2005)

He received multiple formal recognitions for his service and dedication:

  • 🙏 Personal thanks from the Mayor of Madrid for collaboration in the “Madrid ayuda a Sarajevo” humanitarian campaign (letter dated September 4, 1995).
  • 🏅 Recognition from the Madrid branch of the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES) for his professional work during the March 11, 2004 Madrid bombings (letter dated June 26, 2004).
  • 🎖️ Commendation from the Director General of Cultural Activities of Madrid for participation in the Epiphany Parade coverage (letter dated February 1, 2005).

📻 Outreach and Public Communication

In 1998, he participated as a guest contributor on a nationwide broadcast radio program about the Internet, where he discussed information security and online safety topics.

🐧 Open-Source and Technology Advocacy

An active open-source advocate since 1996, Néstor has maintained long-standing collaborations with the Spanish GNU/Linux community, promoting free software adoption and contributing to public workshops, events, and local user groups.

📫 Contact: nestor.lucas@upm.es