Marie Curie Actions: Inspiring Researchers - Imdea

never-ending story,’ Professor Coatanéa fi nds. ‘We can alwaystry to integrate new approaches coming from different fi elds,from biology, from chemistry, from engineering to support thedesign purpose. And we are in a kind of transversal domain,so we can work with people from computer sciences, fromelectronic sciences and with artists, too.’The road from teacher to scientist‘Marie Curie has given me the opportunity to pursue myown line of research. This would probably have been muchharder in another context, because we depend on moneyfrom industry to an extreme degree,’ Professor Coatanéabelieves. ‘Some of my research topics are not necessarilyvery interesting to industry in the initial phase.’ Marie Curie,however, enabled him to develop his research and wait until astable position at the university became available.Professor Coatanéa’s own road to becoming a scientist was a littleunusual, he reveals: for 11 years he worked as a manufacturingmethods teacher in the French secondary school and universitysystem. The decision to do a PhD in Finland was daunting at fi rst.‘I have been interested in science all my life, but let’s say I didn’thave suffi cient self-esteem to think there might be a career inresearch for me,’ he admits.But his self-esteem has been growing since he has takenthe plunge – and with good reason. Professor Coatanéa’sMarie Curie research took him to the internationally renownedHelsinki University of Technology, where he is now employedas Professor in Product Development.Project acronymComodeFull project titleConceptual modelling design: experimentation andimplementation of a new conceptual design methodType of grantIntra-European FellowshipBudgetEUR 173 730Duration of project01-11-2005 - 31-10-2007Scientific disciplineEngineeringHost institutionHelsinki University of TechnologyDepartment of Engineering, Design and ProductionOtakaari 4FIN-02015 Espoo71