Meet the team: Bruno Campos

Meet Bruno Campos, a senior chemist at Material Evolution with a passion for understanding each and every material in the world around us.  

As part of our latest “Meet Mevo” installment, Bruno explores his rich and varied career history that resulted in a passion for ultra-low carbon cement, explores the full potential of alkali fusion, and reveals the key motto that drives his approach to his work at Mevo. 

Over to Bruno… 

Materials science – from the laboratory to the kitchen 

To say my experience has been varied is an understatement, but the factor that underpins my career history is a curiosity for the chemistry behind materials. 

My bachelor, master and PhD is in Chemistry at University of Porto (Portugal). In my bachelor thesis I synthesized organic molecules with potential to be used in chemotherapy. In my master’s and PhD I worked with fluorescent nanoparticles able to detect and quantify toxic metals that might impact people and environment.  

I then worked in geology, examining how some clays can retain radioactive waste, then in biomaterials for bone regeneration and went on to work in the textiles, plastics and automotive industries. A key role that I particularly enjoyed was my work in conservation and restoration of art, in which I worked with many ancient materials, such as stones, mortars and plaster.  

I also set up two businesses in Portugal – a pharmaceutical company, as well as a sushi restaurant. I like to think that the kitchen is a lab where you can taste the experiment.  

I’ve grown and developed such a varied understanding of a huge range of materials through so many challenges and learnings, with every experience showing me greener practices that would open a door to bring me one step closer to the cement industry. 

Activation station

My day-to-day role at Material Evolution involves working to refine our novel process to activate our materials and working closely with our customers to develop ultra-low carbon cements specific to their requirements.  

My favorite part? When what I think, plan and do delivers the results that I predicted. This always makes work easier, however I do enjoy being surprised by the results. An experiment is like a Kinder egg – you never know what’s hidden inside, and every new experiment will contain a surprise. To work in chemistry, you have to have a very open and adaptable mindset, which appeals to my inner child! 

Next generation ultra-low carbon workforce

When we forge a new path, we face the challenge of assembling the right team and adopting the best practices to achieve our company’s goals. Developing ultra-low carbon cements comes with both technological and market barriers, requiring us to be highly skilled and bold in our approach. However, it is also incredibly rewarding, as it reinforces our commitment to the planet. 

At Mevo, a strong dedication to sustainability is one of the key qualities we look for in our team members. The people I work with are deeply motivated to help protect the environment, and our team is both multidisciplinary and highly skilled. Each member brings unique experience in cement R&D and industry, but it is our collaborative approach and the specialized training programs we develop internally that enable us to successfully reach our company milestones. 

A winning mentality

I love Cristiano Ronaldo’s winning mentality, but I would like to highlight a saying from Ayrton Senna, a Brazilian racecar driver, who once said: “There is no merit from a person, but from a team”, and that’s something that I live by. I try to implement this in my work at all times, putting more focus on what can be achieved as a collective, as opposed to any individual wins. 

Connect with Bruno Campos on LinkedIn by following the link here.