Eng. Hélio Cristiano Gomes Alves de Castro

Hélio is Manager and Co-founder of ParallelPlanes Lda., a consultancy company for advanced business models and technologies for manufacturing systems and enterprises. He holds a Dipl. Eng. Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from the University of Minho, and since 2007 he is a PhD student at the same University in the Department of Production and Systems Engineering. He is also a member of the research group “Distributed and Virtual Manufacturing Systems and Enterprises” within the CITEPE – Interdisciplinary Centre for Production and Energy Technologies, at the University of Minho.

Hélio began his career in a family business of urban lighting, electrical assembly and telecommunication, where he led work projects. In 2006, he was invited to integrate a business association spinoff company for management and organizational development as consultant. From 2007 to 2009 he joined the University of Minho, in the Department of Production and Systems Engineering, as a researcher of the European Commission’s Network of Excellence for Innovative Production Machines and Systems (I*PROMS). During his period in the consultancy company, Hélio co-founded, with two colleagues, a renewable energy company.

In 2009, after the end of his work period of the Network of Excellence, Hélio decided to work independently as a consultant and a trainer, developing his activity in two national programmes: ‘Formação PME’ managed by ‘Associação Empresarial de Portugal’ (Portuguese Entrepreneurial Association – Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and ‘QI PME’ programme handled by ‘AIMinho - Associação Empresarial’ (AIMinho – Business Association). These programmes are aimed to support SMEs’ growth and competitiveness.