Daniel Alexandre Cruz Gatões completed his Master's in Mechanical Engineering in September 2016 and his Phd in Mechanical Engineering in February 2023 at Universidade de Coimbra. His doctoral research, titled "Smart Control of Defects in Additive Manufacturing 3D Objects Function of Application," was approved with Distinction and Merit, establishing a new framework for defect engineering and process optimization in industrial contexts. The main focus of Daniel's work has been pushing the limits of Metal Additive Manufacturing for industrial applications, pioneering an "Inverse Design" methodology that architects materials based on performance requirements rather than traditional processing constraints. This innovative approach utilizes proprietary computational tools to generate defect-tolerant mechanical metamaterials, effectively addressing the "Small Data" problem in mechanics through massive dataset generation and Machine Learning integration to create "smart" structures with programmable properties. He has colaborated in 20 projects, managing significant budgets and leading technical work packages in high-stakes industrial consortia. As a Contracted PhD Researcher for the "INOV.AM" Mobilizing Agenda (with an allocated budget of €499,204), he leads the development of metallic metamaterials and supports the engineering of national 3D printing equipment, bridging the gap between academic research and the mold-making industry. He is the Principal Investigator for the proposed "MetaVibe" seed project, focused on vibration control for space systems, and acts as a specialized consultant for the "PRO-DEFESA" partnership with Brazil, transferring knowledge on additive manufacturing for defense applications. His portfolio includes the 8.8M€ "Add.Additive" project, where he coordinated industry interfaces, and the "MATIS" project, where he developed hybrid manufacturing solutions combining subtractive and additive processes. He has published 10 articles in journals, and 3 DOI identified conference papers, achieving a notable 100% Q1 publication rate in Scopus-indexed journals for 2025. His research has been featured in prestigious outlets such as Results in Engineering, Journal of Materials Research and Technology, and The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, where his work on filament optimization for extrusion has become a reference in the field. Daniel has co-supervised 5 MSc dissertations and currently supervises students in advanced topics such as auxetic structures and sintering dynamics. He is also deeply involved in education and training, developing and delivering technical modules for the "Academia INOV.AM" to upskill the industrial workforce in technologies like Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and Material Extrusion (MEX). Has received 2 awards and honours, including the Best Poster Award at the international PMTi2017 conference in China and the academic distinction for his PhD. He actively contributes to the scientific community as a member of the National Support Group for Discussion (GNAD) for Horizon Europe, a member of the Technical Standardization Committee (CT 220) at the Portuguese Institute for Quality, and as a Guest Editor for the journal Symmetry. Works in the areas of Engineering and Technology with emphasis on Mechanical Engineering and Engineering and Technology with emphasis on Materials Engineering.