Our team
The NexTCity consortium brings together an outstanding group of researchers and experts from NOVA IMS (Portugal), KU Leuven (Belgium), and Universitat Jaume I (Spain). With complementary specialisations in urban analytics, digital twins, geospatial systems, data science, visualization, and public governance, the team is uniquely equipped to deliver innovative, data-driven solutions for climate-smart cities.
Our members have a track record of leading research, securing European and international funding, and pushing the boundaries of applied research in sustainable urban development. This depth and breadth of expertise ensure NexTCity combines academic rigor with practical relevance, creating tools and policies that can be replicated across cities facing climate urgency.
Our members have a track record of leading research, securing European and international funding, and pushing the boundaries of applied research in sustainable urban development. This depth and breadth of expertise ensure NexTCity combines academic rigor with practical relevance, creating tools and policies that can be replicated across cities facing climate urgency.
NOVA IMS
Miguel de Castro NetoNOVA IMS Dean and Associate Professor. Coordinator of NOVA Cidade – Urban Analytics Lab
André BarriguinhaProfessor of the Practice at NOVA IMS. Coordinator of Nova Cidade Urban Analytics Lab
Bruno JardimInvited Assistant Professor at NOVA IMS and Data Scientist at NOVA Cidade Urban Analytics Lab.
Candela PellizaUrban Data Scientist and Applied Researcher at Nova Cidade Urban Analytics Lab
Belén ZuazoCommunications Officer at NOVA Cidade Urban Analytics Lab
Nuno SousaUrban Planner at NOVA Cidade Urban Analytics Lab
KU LEUVEN
Naomi ThiruResearch Associate and GI Expert at Spatial Applications Division Leuven (Belgium)
Anirudh GovindFWO Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Public Governance Institute, KU Leuven
Ate PoorthuisAssistant Professor of Big Data and Human-Environment Systems in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven (Belgium)
Joep CrompvoetsFull professor and research manager at KU Leuven Public Governance Institute (Belgium)
Ben DerudderProfessor of Urban Studies at KU Leuven Public Governance Institute
Ellen FobéSenior researcher on Public Policies and Policy Analysis at KU Leuven Public Governance Institute (Belgium)
UNIVERSITAT JAUME I
Joaquín Huerta GuijarroFull Professor at UJI and director of the GEOTEC research group. Specialist in geospatial technologies, smart cities, and GIS. Has led multiple European projects.
Inmaculada Remolar QuintanaAssociate Professor at UJI and director of the Institute of New Imaging Technologies INIT. Specialist in interactive visualization, video games, and geometric modeling.
Carlos Granell CanutProfessor at UJI, with expertise in GIS, spatial visualization, and scientific reproducibility. Has worked at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.
Jorge Mateu MahiquesCoordinator of the research group on mathematical modeling and data mining at UJI. Member of the INIT Institute.
Sven CasteleynPhD in Computer Science from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, with extensive research experience in web science, semantic web, and mobile computing. Currently a postdoctoral researcher at Universitat Jaume I.
Sergi Trilles OliverPhD in Geospatial Information Integration and a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellow. Researcher in IoT, geoprocessing, and web mapping.
Claudia Forero BernalForestry engineer with experience in GIS and territorial management. Specialist in remote sensing and the integration of geospatial solutions for sustainability
Nicolás Luna ArévaloEngineer in Cadastre and Geodesy, with a double master’s degree in Geomatics and Photogrammetry. Expert in GIS and remote sensing with over 10 years of experience.