Carlos Leitão is an Assistant Professor and Sub-Director of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Coimbra (UC). As an integrated researcher at the Centre for Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Processes (CEMMPRE) and the Advanced Production & Intelligent Systems Associated Laboratory (ARISE), his work has centred on Production Technologies, with a strong emphasis on friction-based joining and processing techniques. His research spans quality assessment, process optimisation, mechanical performance, and metallurgical characterisation. In recent years, his scientific interests have expanded to include the dissimilar joining of traditionally unweldable materials and alloys, using both conventional and non-conventional joining routes—particularly those involving additive manufacturing. He is also increasingly engaged in exploring emerging production methods, advanced material systems, and metamaterials, especially regarding their integration into welding, joining, and additive processes. Carlos Leitão has been one of the first researchers in Portugal in applying Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to measure strain during the mechanical testing of welded joints. Over the course of his career, he has participated in numerous research projects and served as Principal Investigator of the Friction 4.0 project, which developed strategies for predicting, modelling, and controlling frictional heating in Friction Stir Welding and related technologies through a combination of experimental and numerical approaches. He maintains active scientific collaborations with international R&D institutions in Spain, Italy, Tunisia, and India. He also collaborates closely with other national research centres, including the Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE). He is currently supervising four PhD students conducting advanced research in dissimilar welding, Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), and additive processes more broadly, contributing to the development of next-generation production technologies and advanced material solutions.us engineering fields.